Stones under Rushing Water
by lelemar1
Summary: He was grounded and stoic, like granite in the earth. She was mirthful and bright, like a river running down from the mountaintops. And nothing was every easy in love and war, but perhaps, like stones under rushing water, they would one day come to rest in the same place.
1. prologue

**A/N**: This fic is inspired by DirtyFeet's story of the same pairing, specifically their present/past layout and chapter naming. Their fic is better than mine and I wholly encourage you to read it if the May/Steven pairing piques your interest!

**Disclaimer: **This is a blanket disclaimer for my whole story: I do not claim ownership over Pokemon or anything related to the games or anime. I'm just doing this for fun and pleasure. ORAS verse.

* * *

**Prologue**

In the late midnight hours of Kalos, a young man with silver hair sat hunched over a simple desk, flanked by two mounds of dusty books of subjects spanning from natural history to geology to the history of the Kalosian dialect. He leaned on his palm, reading one of the old books with an intense, focused gaze. He did not stop to have dinner, he did not mind the time. Steven Stone did nothing without with interest and intensity.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

The sudden tritone buzz of his phone startled him out of his focus, making him slide off of his palm and knock over the nearest book mound. He winced as dust and papers scattered about the floor. Steven wondered, with a tinge of annoyance, who could possibly be calling him at so late an hour.

He glanced at the glowing screen of his father's invention, but it read simply: _out of area_.

"Hello, who's this? Do you have any idea how late it is?" he rasped, his voice heavy from disuse.

"Hello, Steven," a sultry voice murmured, "Why yes! It's only six pm, in Hoenn, that is! I just finished up a dreadfully dull afternoon at the gym, but now I'm drinking a martini and enjoying this gorgeous weather we've been having lately."

"Wallace, to what do I owe this...welcome pleasure?" Steven chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"I suppose I was calling to check up on my dear friend, since you haven't bothered checking in with me in a while," Wallace chided. Steven winced. He was going to have to grovel.

"I do apologize, Wallace. I've had to table my research for the last few weeks while I helped round up the last of Team Flare. Things have just started to settle down though, and it's the first I've sat down to read since-"

Wallace cut him off impatiently, "Excuses! You didn't think once to call your friends and family and check in after the Team Flare incident?! I was worried I was going to turn on the news and see your face in the headlines!"

Steven rolled his eyes at Wallace's drama, but was not surprised: this was how Wallace was on a good day.

"Of course I'm safe! No one was injured, there's just structural damage to Geosenge and some criminals roaming free. Like I said, things are settling down."

Wallace hummed skeptically.

"Well, apart from being a good friend and checking up on you, I did have another purpose in calling you so late..." Wallace paused theatrically, making Steven inquire into it further.

"Yes, Wallace?"

"I received a message today from none other than your father, informing me that you were planning on coming home soon to help him with the company," Wallace drawled, "is this true?"

"Is that so? My father just called you out of the blue to tell you that?" Steven said incredulously. There was some shifting on the other line, and then a deep sigh.

"Okay, I confess that I called _him_ first, but that's neither here nor there. Is it true you're coming back?"

Steven smirked, reminded again that nothing ever gets past Wallace.

"Yes, indeed, I'm leaving for Hoenn as soon as I finish attending to others here."

Wallace smiled mischievously, "What's that supposed to mean? Oh god, please don't tell me you're bringing someone back with you."

"What, no! Where on earth did you get that idea?" Steven snapped defensively, "I just meant that I have to finish up my research at Sycamore's lab and duties to the local Kalosians here."

"Oh yes, how will Kalos ever go one without Steven Stone?" Wallace moaned dramatically, taking a mighty gulp of his martini.

"They'll manage," Steven muttered, and paused thoughtfully for a moment. "I hope you know that I was planning on telling you, I've just been busy these past few weeks. I'm actually looking forward to coming home."

Steven's quiet admission piqued Wallace's interest substantially. The flamboyant gym leader sat up in his chair, setting his martini glass down on the table.

"I suppose you would be, after four years of being away from your home...your friends. Have you kept in touch with anyone else, _besides me_?" Wallace pressed. There was a surreptitious glint in his eyes that Steven could not see. A pause quieted the line.

"Uh...no, I haven't," he admitted quietly. Wallace slumped, disappointed.

"Who have you been keeping up with since we last spoke?" Steven countered, spiking Wallace's interest a second time.

"Oh, you know, the usual crowd. Juan, Flannery, the psychic twins, who, by the way, just turned sixteen," Wallace could hear Steven feign interest over the line.

"And of course, I see quite a lot of May too," Wallace added, nonchalantly. Though Wallace could never read his friend's mind, he knew there was always more to Steven's _friendship _with the blushing young Champion than he led Wallace, and himself, to believe.

A third pause filled the line, and every second of silence further confirmed Wallace's hunch.

"How is she?" Steven murmured quietly. Wallace cleared his throat.

"She's matured into the role quite beautifully since you've been gone. You would be proud of her."

A wash of sadness colored Steven's face. He closed his eyes, thankful this was a voice call with Wallace and that they weren't speaking over video or in person.

"Of course I'm proud of her," he forced out a cheery tone, "I knew she would do wonders for the League."

Wallace hummed in response. Hoping to arise some more curiosity and feeling from Steven about the young woman, Wallace ventured, "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear of your return."

Steven felt his pulse quicken.

"Yes, well, I am looking forward to seeing her."

Wallace smiled.

"I'm sure she will be even happier to hear that."

* * *

Ever Grande City was known for the Pokemon League, its opulent architecture, winding cobblestone paths, fine dining, and temperate weather. Though the island received tourists year round, the waters surrounding the Island made swimming and surfing nearly impossible, with swells reaching ten meters high and currents powerful enough to churn whirlpools. So, people came to the Island to enjoy pokemon battles and good weather, not to swim.

But few knew of the existence of a hidden cove on the far north face of the Island. Surrounded by sheer cliffs and loose boulders, the hike down to the quiet cove was treacherous on a good day, when the winds were gentle and fair. Those who risked the hike, however, were some of the lucky few to witness such natural beauty and splendor.

The waters in the cove were serene, still like glass. The sunlight was unobtrusive at all times of the day, and the wind that howled past the island gently whispered here in the cove. There was an ashy colored sand, and some krabbys often scuttled about in the tiny waves.

And there was a young woman.

May was propped up on her elbows, her hair down and her feet plunged into the cool sand, as she watched some of her pokemon play in the shallow waters.

May visited the cove almost daily now. Things at the League had slowed considerably, and they hadn't received a challenger in quite some time. They even hadn't heard of anyone new passing through Victory Road since January. Sid and Drake had warned May of potential lulls in the job, when trainers were either training or waiting for conditions to ease on the Road.

May feared that Victory Road had become too difficult. She began to question the Road's purpose as the League's selective practice and rite of passage. After all, there were many trainers who were not as able bodied as those who have made it through, and yet their teams were equally, if not more, strong and powerful. Perhaps, May wondered, some of the best trainers had been wrongfully weeded out by the Road.

May thought briefly of Wally: his quiet determination, his kindness and gentleness towards others and his pokemon, and his skill, his _tremendous_ skill. And yet, his journey had been stunted at various points because of his health problems, his family's interference. When May breezed up a mountain, Wally would falter. When she scoured underwater caverns for pokemon and relics, Wally remained on the shore. When she won eight gym badges, Wally won his first.

In the back of her mind, she had always hoped that, one day, he would ascend Victory Road, ascend and defeat the ranks of the Elite Four, and give May a run for her money, like she once did for another. But the last time they had spoken, Wally had left the Road after a long stint inside to return to Verdanturf to rest.

It just didn't seem fair anymore.

The whole lot of the job.

That's when May realized that she and her pokemon needed spaces like the cove to retreat to when they were on the Island. Hoenn had a strained relationship with their seas. Though the oceans that permeated Hoenn gave the land so much richness and depth, the ocean for some Hoennese people was a place of perilous beauty; unlike the people of Pacifidlog or Sootopolis, the people of Ever Grande saw the ocean as an enemy to contend with, not as a thing to be loved or enjoyed.

But for May, the ocean, the currents, the rain and the waves, were grounding experiences for her and her team. They reminded her that there was life and adventure beyond the waters of this cove, beyond the waves of this island, beyond the oceans of this beloved country. May knew she needed to be reminded of this.

Latios suddenly cawed at May. She looked up to the blue eon dragon, but it was obvious something else had caught Latios' attention. Her lucario waded out of the water towards May, also turning his gaze behind May.

"What is it, Rio?" May asked, leaning up from her comfortable position.

The aura pokemon pointed towards the trail, and indeed, to May's great surprise, there was another visitor, clambering down the path.

"Wallace," May murmured, "as I live and breathe."

Seeing the pristinely dressed gym leader fumble down a rocky path was indeed a sight to behold. May thanked Rio for his dutiful report and watch, and got up to help Wallace down before he hurt himself.

"Wallace, don't you know that those shoes are inappropriate for hiking?" May called as she approached him. Wallace rolled his eyes.

"Well, May, if _you _didn't have to be so damn near impossible to find, I would have dressed more accordingly."

"You could've called!" May countered.

Wallace scoffed emphatically. "Like you'd ever answer!"

The two stared at each other defiantly, until both cracked and laughed heartily over their well-rehearsed banter. May was grateful to have gotten closer to Wallace over the past several years.

"Enough of that, let's go for a stroll," he smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders. They walked in silence for a few minutes along the shore, where the sea embraced the sand. May peered up at him, trying to get a read on his face, but for some reason, his expression was inscrutable to her. Wallace, the man who always revealed his emotional cards, was vacant, unreadable.

"So what do I owe the pleasure, Wallace?" May finally asked. Wallace let his arm drop from May's shoulders and walked deeper into the waves, letting his white pants soak in the salt water. He stopped, peering out into the seemingly endless horizon of blue. Latios had retreated back at the first sign of another human, as May had trained him to do. Wallace sighed sharply.

"Now I see why you're never at the League, May. This place is stunning, a natural wonder of water. You're a woman after my own heart! I wonder why the currents don't reach here..."

"This is the north face of the island. The currents run up and around the island and bypass this inlet. It's perfect for swimming," May eyed him, seeing if he could be tempted to swim with her.

"You tempt me, but alas I'm not dressed for swimming," he said, looking down at his clothes.

May hummed in agreement. She could tell, though Wallace often visited her, that this wasn't a visit to chat idly about the weather.

"I remember Steven telling me about a cove with calm waters he would frequent on Ever Grande City. He'd go whenever work at the League slowed, or if Drake was giving him a hard time for his lack of participation and presence. I never pegged him as someone who'd appreciate a place that wasn't a dark cave or made of rare stones. But... he _loved_ that cove," Wallace murmured thoughtfully, hoping to spark something inside of the Champion. But May's face was stoic, and he could tell that she was calculating her next words very carefully. Indeed, May was unsure of how to respond to his story without arousing any suspicion.

Yet Wallace was no village idiot, and he certainly knew how to read May. Wallace knew that May's feelings for Steven, whatever they were four years ago, were, at the very least, dimly present.

He turned back to May, his eyes brimming with anticipation that something, anything, would happen.

"Steven called me last night. He told me he's coming home in a few weeks, and that he is looking forward to seeing you."

May's face remained stoic for a moment, until suddenly, she cracked a flippant smile.

"You came all the way out here to tell me that?"

Wallace stared.

"Yes, I thought you'd want to know." May's smile fell.

"Why?"

"Don't play dumb."

"Well, why would I?" May countered, feigning disinterest, "He hasn't spoken to me once since he left."

"You two were very close and involved in each other's lives, May," reasoned Wallace.

"I mean he knew a lot about _my _life," May corrected, "But aside from that, I hardly knew anything personal about him."

Wallace paused thoughtfully.

"Right... well, Steven's always been, ah...a bit of an enigma. What I do know of him, I know that you mean a lot to him and that he considers you his friend," Wallace countered. May looked up to him, her frown deepened thoughtfully.

"He does?"

"Of course," Wallace emphasized, "even more so than me." May went silent again. He sighed.

"Well, I hope you can find time to spare with him. He told me that he's going to be in Hoenn for a while," Wallace said.

"For a while?" May repeated, hazarding a glance up to Wallace.

"I think permanently."

May nodded slowly. She suddenly walked out of the water.

"Thanks for stopping by, Wallace, but I should be getting back to the League," she said brusquely, collecting her beach bag and towel.

"Rio?" she summoned her lucario, reaching for his pokeball. Before the aura pokemon was called back, he shot Wallace a purposeful look of concern. Wallace nodded once to acknowledge Rio, and smiled. His suspicions were indeed correct, as there was certainly more to this "friendship" than May currently led him to believe.

Wallace sighed deeply. He knew from personal experience that matchmaking was tough work, and that this was going to be an even harder sell since both Steven and May were hopeless in their communication skills.

As Wallace accompanied May back up the cliff towards the city, he could tell that May was preoccupied with her thoughts by the way she engaged distantly in their conversation. When they reached the city, May waved goodbye to Wallace and thanked him again for his company.

Wallace bowed his head to the reigning Champion and watched her walk away towards the League, her white linen coverup trailing along the cobblestone paths.

After years of knowing both May and Steven, it was clear to Wallace that May and Steven were more alike then they thought they were. In Wallace's imagination, May was bright and refreshing, like water. She was patient, full of life, and hopeful.

Though Steven was more of an enigma than May, he was equally patient and indeed hopeful, but in a quiet, steady, grounded way. Like stones in the earth.

May and Steven weren't opposites in Wallace's mind. They were partners, unbeknownst to one another, standing side by side towards the same future, eyes on the same goal. Wallace smiled, and sighed deeply.

For her sake and for Steven's, nothing was ever easy in love and war. But, like stones under rushing water, he knew that they would both come to rest in the same place in time.

* * *

_"He is looking forward to seeing you."_

May's conversation with Wallace left her mind churning with questions and anxiety. Questions about the manner of his return, if he was really staying for good like Wallace said and if he was indeed looking forward to seeing her.

In May's mind, Steven's return wasn't just a return to his home country. It was a return of four years of feelings May had long suppressed. Her feelings of anger and deep sadness and confusion came rushing back to her mind in the spans of one afternoon. The magnitude of her anger and sadness was surprising to her, after all this time.

When Steven first left, May, to her embarrassment and confusion, wondered how she would ever get over him. But because he was out of sight, out of her life and her circle of friends, she was able to genuinely bury the hope she had of him, one day, falling in love with her.

She walked on autopilot the steps to her navy blue front door and stood in front of it in silence for some time. She glanced to her left. Further down her quiet street, were the houses of Drake and Glacia and their respective families.

And before she knew it, she stood at the threshold of Drake's home, breathing heavily and on the verge of tears, as she held down the doorbell.

_He can't come back. He just can't._

The door swung open on May's fifth ring. Drake's wife looked perturbed, but once she saw the distress and tears in May's eyes, her anger waned.

"_May_?" she gasped, "Whatever is the matter?"

_Why is he coming back, after all these years?_

"I-I... I need to talk with Drake," May stammered hazily. Drake's wife nodded once and walked away from the door to find her husband. Drake soon took his wife's place in the doorway, his eyes widening in disbelief at seeing the Champion's distress. He quickly stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him. Drake, even in the context of his own home, was somehow still intimidating to May. Maybe it was the mustache.

"What happened?" he asked lowly.

_He's coming back_.

"I-" May glanced up at his stern, cold eyes but quickly looked back down to her feet, "I want to leave, the League... just on a break, for a few months," she stated, hazarding another glance up to Drake's face. But his expression was unreadable.

"Why?" he asked simply. _He hasn't spoken to me in four years._

"I just want to," May replied. Drake stared at her with his arms folded, studying her. He knew that, whatever happened to set May off, she was not going to share with him. And frankly, he didn't want to know. He didn't particularly appreciate chumminess, though he hated to see May in such pain and sadness.

"Well, as second in command, you have my permission to leave for a vacation," Drake said slowly. May sighed in relief. "But," he added sternly, "remember that if the League receives a challenger, and that challenger ascends and defeats our ranks, and you fail to return, you automatically forfeit your title. I won't make an exception for you, is that understood?"

May nodded once. Drake sighed heavily again.

"Which is unlikely anyway, since things have been so damn dull around here. You sure that's not why you're leaving?" he countered, glancing at the Champion's red eyes.

May shook her head.

"Alright... you sure you don't want to tell me why you're _really _leaving?" Drake pressed, somewhat awkwardly. May shook her head again, but this time smiled up at the graying admiral.

"No, Drake. And... I'll be fine, I just need to do this, for myself. It's long overdue," she breathed. Drake nodded slowly, and the two faced each other in silence for a few moments.

"Well, I'll let the others know," he said finally. May thanked him, and dried her eyes with her sleeve, turning to leave.

"May?" Drake called from his porch. She turned back to face him. A faint smile graced his sharp features.

"Go well," he said simply.

* * *

It was late April in Hoenn, gentle and cool, but still the daytime winds seemed to promise the swift arrival of warmer weather. May was scheduled to leave that evening from Slateport Harbor, aboard the _SS Anne_. The ship would take her to Vermillion City in Kanto, where she would begin a new journey. And although May had spent most nights of the last four years in Ever Grande City, her cabin on Route 119 was her forever home.

She considered selling it, but a remote cabin atop a waterfall on a perpetually rainy route didn't exactly scream prime real estate to anyone with half a brain. Besides, how could she sell her first home? This was another one of her safe havens during all of those lonely days after winning the Championship, the days when she realized that fulfilling her greatest dream made her feel emptier than ever before. Few people knew of its existence - a luxury May was grateful to have as a well-documented Champion. One of those few would be the cabin's, and her pokemon's, caretaker while May was away for the summer. As she folded her last pair of shorts, she heard a knock on the cabin door.

"It's open!" she called.

A young man with green hair and pale clothes walked through the door with a companion, a gallade. Beyond the threshold, May could see the afternoon deluge and could smell the now fragrant, happy grass from where she sat on the floor.

"Wally, you're drenched," she grimaced, trying to ignore the mud he had tracked in.

"Hey, blame yourself for choosing the wettest route in all of Hoenn for a vacation home," Wally quipped, brushing the rain droplets off his shoulders, most of which hit gallade in the face. May shrugged. She didn't mind the rain.

Wally whistled funnily at the general disarray of the cabin - May's last minute trip sent her home into a flurry of potions, antidotes, and max repels, as she tried to scrounge up all of her old gear, saved from her days as a trainer. On the kitchen table was a simple bin, filled with pokeballs. She tried hard not to look at them.

"I can't believe they are actually letting you take a vacation, especially since Steven was gone all the time. Shouldn't they see you as a flight risk?" Wally sighed as he took a seat at the kitchen table. She winced at his mention of Steven. Since Wallace had told her of Steven's impending return last week, May found herself wondering when or if he was back in Hoenn. If he was, he still hadn't contacted her. So much for being such great friends, as Wallace so argued. She did her best to dispel the image of Steven away from her mind. The last minute packing, and presence of her old friend, kept her mind busy, anyway.

"They understand how exhausting the job can be," May shrugged.

"Yeah, I bet they can see how much you've been changed by it, too."

May nodded thoughtfully at her kind friend and rival. It was true, she had changed. When she took her place as Champion, she was branded as the "fiery Champion." May thought it misleading PR: after all, her team didn't have a single fire type, and she much preferred the water to practically anything else. Thus, the meaning of fiery was pitched to her as twofold: her penchant for red clothes and her brave, unflinching personality.

But these years watching trainers fail at the Hoenn League and Victory Road made May more sensitive and introspective than she ever had been before. Time, hardship, and the rhythms of a job instantiated a sense of maturity in the twenty-four year old that hadn't been there before, at least, not in the same ways.

"They should have tenure limits on these positions. From what you've told me, you should have taken a break a year ago. No wonder you aren't the first to leave," Wally muttered. May chose to ignore that. As much as she wished they didn't, she knew that her friends, family, and total strangers of Hoenn might surmise that May was following in Steven Stone's footsteps.

"May?...MAY?" Wally snapped May out of her anxious thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I zoned out."

"I was asking you if you've heard from him lately," Wally said nonchalantly. May's stomach lurched. She had indeed heard _of _him, from Wallace. But that wasn't Wally's question.

"No, but that's not a surprise," she shrugged.

"Well, I imagine that being heir to Devon Co. is no small role. I bet his move to Kalos had something to do with their company."

May hummed absently in agreement and returned to her packing.

"Is that why you're not going?"

"Going where?"

"To Kalos! Are you even listening?"

"I'm sorry, I'm distracted! Erm...yeah, I suppose. Who would want others, or him for that matter, to think I was chasing after my predecessor? It's just pathetic," May said, though that was only partly true, since she knew good and well that Steven was returning to Hoenn.

Wally looked at her sympathetically.

"Anyone would be lucky to have you chase after them. And besides, most guys don't think that deeply into things. I know I wouldn't."

May snorted. Wally obviously didn't know Steven very well. But then again, she didn't really either. At least, she thought she did for a time. But then he left, leaving behind a cryptic letter, a house key, and a baby pokemon. Time made him out to be more of an enigma than he had been when they were friends on her journey. There were nights she'd wake up in a cold sweat, fearing that she had dreamt up the whole thing, their adventures and shared memories. But how could she dream up a heartbreak that real when he left?

"There!" May cheered, standing before Wally with her packed bags. Wally nodded in approval.

"Not the same outfit I remembered you traveling in. Are you teleporting to Slateport?"

May nodded as she tightened her black leather belt, before releasing her gardevoir.

The embrace pokemon looked surprised to see Wally and his partner in their private cottage, but happy nonetheless. Gardevoir was May's first wild pokemon capture when she began her pokemon journey at seventeen. Wally had been with her, and together on that day they both caught ralts. Now, Wally's ralts had evolved into a quick-footed gallade, and May's a gentle gardevoir.

"Time to go, Maris. Wally, here are my keys," May handed the keyring to Wally, eyeing the bin on the table sadly. Wally noticed.

"I promise I will take good care of your pokemon, May," Wally murmured softly, his green eyes meeting hers. There was kindness in them, an open tenderness May hardly saw in men. She admired that quality in him.

"I just haven't ever been away from them for this long. I hope they don't resent me for it," May said quietly. Maris whimpered empathetically, reaching for her trainer's hand.

"They could never resent you, May. They understand their trainer needs some space, and it's only for a few months."

May inhaled sharply, "Yes, well... um, I should probably give you my instructions now..." May said awkwardly. Wally nodded, sitting up straight.

"They're very self-sufficient, but just to be sure they're eating enough, try to feed them in the mornings if you can."

"Can do."

"And they're allowed to explore and roam, but they can't be alone and they must be back whenever you go to bed."

"Okay, curfew, got it."

"If you have to leave for any reason, you can just keep them in their balls till you get back. Oh, and Rio is team leader since I'm taking Finn."

"Got it," Wally smiled broadly. May felt a weighty sadness settle on her shoulders as it hit her she would be gone from most of her team for a while. She felt like a parent, leaving her children home reluctantly with another caretaker.

May's gaze softened.

"And... they're used to sleeping in my room. You don't have to do that if you're uncomfortable, but they'll appreciate the closeness, so sleep at the cabin when you can."

May then paused to stare at Wally, "Just no wild parties and don't burn it down or I'll sue." Wally whistled again and exchanged a glance with his gallade.

"I can concede to no parties, but wouldn't you be impressed if I pulled off arson with all of this rain?"

May rolled her eyes and, picking up her bags, took Maris' hand. She felt her hand warm at her gardevoir's touch.

"Wally, I owe you big time for this. Thank you," May said softly. Her friend and rival returned a sunny smile.

"Promise me something?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise to be careful, don't get into any trouble, and just, have fun again, okay?" His eyes danced mirthfully as he considered his lifelong friend and rival. May beamed, all thoughts of fear and sadness leaving her for a brief moment.

"But trouble is fun," she winked, before vanishing out of the evening light. May's surroundings morphed from her cozy cabin into the bustling, fragrant harbor of Slateport City. The dark ocean waves were choppy, as the tide rolled in along with large passenger vessels. May looked around at the different ships, until she saw one docked in the center of the harbor marked: _S.S. Anne._

May returned Maris to her ball and placed it back on her belt. She made the hard decision to only bring two pokemon to Kanto since she had hoped to catch and train some new pokemon while she was abroad. It had been difficult deciding who would come and who would stay since May had grown so used to living between Ever Grande City and her cabin, where she could let all of her pokemon roam freely and come and go as they please. She made the decision that her two oldest pokemon should accompany her, since they were the weariest and in most need of a new locale. Maris and Finn, her swampert and starter pokemon, hummed in anticipation at her waist. Perhaps, like May, they too hoped to be revived by new waters.

As May neared the boat's dock, she looked back to admire the beauty of Hoenn, a brief flicker of Steven's face flashed before her mind's eye. She wondered, with some dull emotion she couldn't place, if they stood on the same soil of their homeland in that moment; she wondered if he, too, actually did want to see her, like Wallace had said. But before she could give it a second thought, the deep rumble of the ship's horn resounded in May's belly. She walked forward towards the sea and stars, unabashed, in pursuit of a new adventure.


	2. ch 1: follow me

**Chapter 1: Follow Me**

The sound of rustling trees and scampering feet made for a natural symphony in the depths of Viridian Forest. The afternoon was warm, and light flitted down through the forest canopy, casting shadows that seemed to dance on the mossy floor.

A young woman with brown hair crouched amongst the ferns, her eyes locked on a pikachu unaware of its pursuer. It was late summer and very humid. Beads of sweat collected near the trainer's brow, though she felt at ease in the humidity.

The young woman took out a Nest Ball from her shorts pocket, bouncing the ball lightly in her hands to get used to its weight. It had, after all, been quite some time since she had last done this. All the while, the young electric mouse sniffed gingerly at some unripe berries that had fallen from the tree above.

Within a flash, the young woman threw the ball at her target. She felt her heart in her throat, pounding away as she watched the ball twitch once, then twice, and finally a third time for a lock. Though she was out of practice, she felt the same way as she did when she caught her first pokemon, many years ago outside of Petalburg City.

The trainer stood up, and wiping the sweat off of her brow, walked over to the still pokeball and picked it up. Before, the ball felt hollow and stiff, but now, with her newest capture, she felt the pokemon inside move and hum curiously at her touch. Pressing her finger to the clasp, the trainer released her pokemon in a flash of white. The little pikachu still looked dazed; it had all happened so quickly.

The young woman knelt down in front of the little mouse, and smiled gently, "Hello, little one. My name is May, and I am a pokemon trainer. If you want to join me on my travels, it would be an honor to have you. If you would prefer to remain in your forest, I will honor that decision. So, what do you think? Do you want to come with me?" The yellow mouse nodded fervently in response.

May smiled, "Excellent! I can't wait to welcome you to my team! Only, we must think of a good nickname for you..." May thought aloud as she stroked the pokemon's red cheeks. She could feel a spark of static prickling through the pokemon's cheeks.

"Aha! How does "Firth" sound to you?" The pikachu nuzzled its cheek into May's hand and gave an excited cry in affirmation of May's suggestion.

"Firth it is. Let's get you back in your ball so you can meet your new family later tonight."

Once May returned Firth back into her ball, she started to make her way out of the forest. She could tell the sun had already begun to set, as the air felt cooler and less oppressively humid. The forest's symphony had changed its tune to signal the sunset, as well: the sound of bug pokemon chirping and fluttering and buzzing filled the air. Though May loved to befriend every pokemon she met, she did not particularly enjoy the company of bug pokemon. She waded her way through the forest maze, until she was back on the well-trodden path that led out to Viridian City.

* * *

By the time May exited the forest with her newest team member on her belt, the sun had set, and the fading light cast a rosy hue along the Viridian City skyline. The evening was late, and though May was staying nearby at the Pokemon Center, she didn't feel like turning in quite so soon. Besides, she hoped to see someone before she moved on to the next town.

Viridian City was properly speaking a town; there was one "skyscraper" that provided stunning vistas of the city and neighboring forest at night. But Kanto was more rural than Johto or Hoenn, as it gave way to large stretches of grassland instead of sprawling cities or mountains. May walked toward the tall building, and she was pleased to find the door and elevator unlocked and ready for use. The top floor was deserted, and the city streets were beginning to settle down as people walked home from work.

She was waiting for someone.

The view of the city, the golden hour, and the warm weather all brought to mind a memory of May's: sitting on the roof of a similar, but larger building in Lilycove City, also waiting for someone. For the first time in a long time, May felt that sharp ache of homesickness in her chest. Kanto and Hoenn were akin in many respects, much to May's surprise and joy, but Kanto lacked the locality and pervading presence of the ocean. Without the ocean, May felt disoriented. For May, Hoenn carried with it sense of adventure that May came to love at the dawn of her own pokemon journey nearly eight years ago.

May suddenly felt her DexNav buzz at her waist. She grumbled as she dug through her messy purse, past the numerous potions and antidotes and nest balls to find the useful, but annoying, device.

She caught the caller on its last ring: "Hello?"

"Yes, hello May? This is Drake," came the veteran's gravely voice.

"Hey Drake! I know, I have your number saved." May could hear him grunt over the line.

"Sorry to bother you while you're on vacation, but have you been keeping up with what's been happening in Kalos?"

May frowned. News clips of a ravaged town of old and of a crime syndicate in red came to the forefront of May's mind. She thought bitterly back to a time when Hoenn dealt with Team Magma and how their ignorance nearly caused a natural disaster.

"Yeah, it's absolutely horrible. But I heard Team Flare was stopped by a trainer and that Lysandre is now in custody." Lysandre was a name that had made its way even to the quiet villages of Kanto, and May had seen his crazed, lion-like face on television and heard him speak about his desire for a new world, beautified and shed of its pain and suffering.

"Yes. Rightfully so. But, that brings me to the reason for my calling," there was a pause on the line, "Kalos is a mess right now, May. Geosenge Town was nearly decimated and the country authorities are trying their best to round up the last of Lysandre's cronies. Even Malva was put behind bars, so they're down a League member for the time being. They cannot host this year's League Convention."

May's spirit fell as she realized where Drake was headed with this discussion. But she remained silent.

"So...do you catch my drift?" he said after a moment.

"But why can't another region host it, somewhere closer like Unova? We did it the time before last, and besides, some of the other regions haven't even hosted yet!" May whined. She could tell Drake didn't want to host this either; he hated public appearances and events, especially an event as well-publicized as the League Convention. It was far too chummy for Drake's comfort.

"I suppose. But, at any rate, the last time Hoenn hosted a convention was early into Steven's tenure, and he didn't participate or engage with the others as the board would have liked. Which is the whole point of the damn thing..." May's stomach flipped at Drake's casual mention of his name. Of course, Drake had no idea of May's complicated relationship towards the former Champion. Very few people knew of her girlhood crush on Steven, and beyond that, not very many people knew that Steven Stone, heir of Devon Co., was also Hoenn's previous, elusive Champion. When May first began her tenure, she wondered why Steven remained so anonymous from his role and from the fans; but now, after four years deep into the job, she felt worn down and so exhausted from the demands and pressure of the career. She suddenly realized Drake had been rambling on for a while, though she hadn't been listening.

"...but the board asked us to host, and so I agreed on your behalf."

"Well, from where in the budget are we taking this money?" May frowned. Drake began to say something, but stopped himself. It dawned on May that he meant to use their residual funds from the year.

"Oh, that's just great. We discussed using that money for improvements to Victory Road."

"I know, but it's too late to rescind our offer."

"Well, I never authorized-"

"You weren't here!" Drake bellowed, "And the four of us unanimously agreed, so even if you were here to vote it wouldn't have ended in your favor," he muttered. May frowned. She had a hard time picturing Sid voting in favor of hosting the Convention, though it was possible he was bribed by Phoebe. Or Glacia.

"When does it start?" May asked miserably, rubbing her now aching forehead.

"In a month, the last day of August. But we'll start welcoming guests here in three weeks, so please get back soon. I'm going to put your name down as a contender in the bracket. You need to be sociable with the others, and you can spare a match at the very least."

"You know I'm technically your superior, so I shouldn't let myself put up with this anarchy," May muttered. But Drake chuckled and hung up.

She groaned loudly and leaned over the railing, looking down at the now quiet city below her. May had thoroughly enjoyed her summer vacation in a different region. Nearly four years of time and devotion spent at the Hoenn League, and she finally asked for a summer off. May realized it was stupid to have waited this long, and that vacation days were a part of most jobs. But she felt that after Steven's constant aloofness and abrupt departure that the League feared May would one day do the same without notice.

Suddenly, the young woman straightened up and turned her head away from the city vista.

"Did you hear that phone call?" she called out, seemingly no one. There was a long pause, before a deep voice sounded in her mind.

_Yes. This...Drake, is it? He has the authority over you to summon you home?_

Out of the shadows stepped a cloaked figure, taller than any human man.

She nodded slowly, eyeing the figure from the side as he joined her to look at the city and sky.

"It's earlier than I had planned. I figured I'd have at least another month to travel and explore."

Some silence settled between the two figures. Though it had made her uncomfortable in the beginning of their friendship, May was now used to this ritual of silence.

_How long until you will return to Kanto? _the figure finally asked. May smirked.

"Not for a long time, I'd imagine. My home, my duties are in Hoenn. I can't just gallivant the world for the rest of my life and not expect it all to catch up to me," May's voice trailed off towards the end. She thought briefly of Steven, of his stoic face and pristine suits, and of a time when she waited and hoped expectantly for his return.

And if she could help it, she would never make her new friend feel as jilted as she once did.

_I suppose._

May turned to look at the figure finally. His eyes glinted blue... did that mean he was reading her mind? Or was it just the nightlife glow of the town beneath them?

"Which means, my friend, you're gonna have to find some other trainer to lose to."

The pokemon's eyes narrowed, and in a flash, May's mind flooded with images, sensations, of a battle between the two some time ago: her gardevoir nearly at her strength's end, before the pokemon dealt another painful psychic attack. May remembered that battle with excitement and adrenaline. The hooded figure knew how to give May and her team a good challenge: something they hadn't felt in a long time.

_It's not like I haven't made your pokemon work for their victories. I am still the most powerful pokemon_.

May smiled, "You know I would never deny that, _Mewtwo_. But consider this amendment: you are the most powerful _wild _pokemon. Of course you have the greatest ability, but without proper training...without _friendship_, you will never reach your fullest potential."

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, and May could hear his psychic voice chuckling in her mind.

_You sound like a man I once knew. But he used me for his own selfish gain._

May nodded. The bits and pieces Mewtwo had shared with her combined with what she had learned from her time on Cinnabar Island gave May a clear indication of the fires Mewtwo rose up from. Part of her still wondered how it's been the case that he's let another human like her get this close. It was humbling, honoring, and made May cherish her relationships with her pokemon all the more.

"That is because he was selfish and insincere from the start. He never meant to be your friend, as I do, and have done. Without friendship, we could never enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed. Great friends help you realize your truest potential. That's what friendship is: teasing the good and the beautiful out of the other." There was a passionate glint in May's eyes as she spoke. She thought of her pokemon, of Finn as a tiny mudkip and of Maris as a timid ralts. She thought of Brendan and Wally, and of Wallace and Phoebe. She desperately wanted Mewtwo to share in her belief.

_Before I met you, I would have disagreed with that vision_.

"Understandably," May said. She glanced down at her watch and sighed. Knowing Mewtwo, she was going to have to play this the hard way.

"Well, it's after dark, and I suppose I should go and book my flight home. So, I guess this is goodbye for a long time," May said, almost indifferently. She barely detected a faint smile on Mewtwo's mouth. Did he see through her bluff?

The purple pokemon finally cast down his hood, just as the blue incandescence of his eyes faded.

_Is this what you humans call "playing hard to get"? _Mewtwo nearly sighed in her mind.

A jovial grin broke through May's face.

"No, people say that about dating and relationships! But you're right, I wasn't being straightforward with you. My routine in Hoenn will be considerably busier than it has been here in Kanto, but would you consider joining me and my pokemon back to our home country? You can live with me and my team, or in the wild I guess, if that is what you want."

Mewtwo paused thoughtfully at the offer. May always thought that he knew she would one day return home and ask him to join her back. The young woman, at first, took Mewtwo to be a strange, lonesome creature, but since befriending him in the depths of Cerulean Cave, she saw inside of him a deep, primal desire for companionship and empathy, like everyone else in the world.

_Yes. I...it would be my honor_.

May smiled. "So... can you teleport and meet me there, or will you fly?"

Mewtwo shook his head. _It's too far to fly, and since I haven't been there before, I don't think I could teleport safely._

May nodded thoughtfully. She had imagined this exact conversation many times, and each reached the same conclusion that she really didn't want to suggest to Mewtwo. So she offered up something else she knew also wouldn't work.

"Well, you could transfigure into a human and fly with me...but you don't have a passport-"

_May, _Mewtwo's voice silenced her, _I think you and I both know what we have to do_.

May's eyes widened.

"A-are you sure? I didn't want to make you feel weird...like you're my pokemon or something," she stammered.

_Well, what do you think I am? _There was a hint of amusement in his voice. It was such an odd question.

"You're my friend and equal. You're more intelligent than me, and you can understand and speak human languages. But you're not human, you're a pokemon."

_Yes. So I am_. He said simply, looking down at May's bag. May sighed in resignation, and reaching inside, grabbed a simple, red pokeball and held it out to Mewtwo.

"Whenever you're ready," she murmured. But Mewtwo didn't hesitate in placing his paw on the pokeball's clasp. Within a flash, he was gone and the pokeball rumbled thrice in May's hand. She stood like that for a few moments, perhaps waiting to see if Mewtwo would come out of the ball or change his mind. But he remained, and May could feel the pokemon hum contentedly inside.

She placed Mewtwo's ball on the sixth clasp of her belt and set out for the Pokemon Center to arrange her flights and to get a good night's rest. May was ready to come home.


	3. ch a: flash

**Ch. A: Flash**

A major and minor chord of footsteps echoed amongst the stones. In the unlit, cool air of Granite Cave, a young woman and a spritely kirlia waded through the narrow, cavernous walls, carefully minding their steps by way of the pokemon's flash ability. The lithe psychic pokemon bounded ahead of her trainer happily, admiring the newness of their surroundings and the icy air of the cave. Indeed, the cave was a welcome respite from the Hoenn heat and humidity.

The young woman's hair was tied up in a bouncy ponytail, and her clothes bore the dust and and grime of her many travels. Though she never planned to add Granite Cave to her list of adventures, by way of an odd turn of events, she nevertheless found herself here, on an errand for a very kind, old man.

And though she was unaware of it yet, this errand would prove itself to be one of the most important encounters of her life.

"Slow down, Maris! If I lose you, I'll never make it out of this cave," May called teasingly, ducking under a large stalactite. The young kirlia let out a charming trill, stopping to wait patiently for her trainer. Maris was the newest addition to May's team, and May's first successful pokemon capture. Within a few days, Maris evolved into kirlia, and she was still showing signs of steady growth and promise. It was Maris' psychic abilities that cinched them their second gym badge from Dewford's gym leader, Brawley. May beamed with pride at the thought of their battle today.

"What do you think: after we finish this errand, we'll go swimming at the beach and have some ice cream?" Maris cooed happily in response.

At the end of the long, well-trodden path, the pair finally reached a cavernous clearing, about the height of a small building, that was warmly lit by flood lights. A makeshift ladder had been constructed to the bottom of the cavern floor. It was obvious that this cave had been excavated within the past few years.

On the opposite wall, May could dimly make out what appeared to be an expansive mural of some sort, carved and painted into the granite walls of the cavern.

And there was a man, peering up at the wall.

May feared, for a moment, that this wasn't the person she had been sent to find. He looked so small under the colossal heights of the etchings, unlike how President Stone described him. May and Maris headed down the ladder and walked tentatively towards the man. But as she approached the man, she also took interested in the mural, the etchings becoming clearer the closer she approached. She stopped.

It looked like a pokemon...it was probably a pokemon, but it was unlike any she had seen thus far. Walls of fire surrounded the strange creature bursting from the bowels of the earth. May's eyes trailed further down the painting, taking it in slowly. She gasped quietly in horror. Cities, people, pokemon, enveloped in flames. Was this part of a history May never learned, a history the people of Hoenn chose to forget, or was it a fable? A primal, visceral fear quieted May, and for a moment, she forgot about the man next to her. Even Maris' buoyant nature stilled in its presence.

But the man's voice, low and quiet, eventually brought May back to her senses.

"...Mm-mmm. So in the ancient world, their primal forms once held this much power...? The super ancient Pokémon...What terrible strength… But this appearance here… It seems somehow different from Mega Evolution…"

A faint smiled perked at May's lips as she heard him talk to himself. She cleared her throat and straightened her posture.

"Excuse me, are you Steven?" May asked. She cleared her throat again. Her question came out much quieter than she'd hoped it would be.

"Hmmm.. It seems my questions will not be answered today," he murmured, again to himself, before turning to face May, his hand still resting quizzically under his chin.

"Yes, I am. And you are…?" he asked quietly. May faltered under his gaze.

Steven was an exceedingly beautiful man. He bore a surprising resemblance to President Stone, with obvious departures in his defined features and scintillating blue eyes, and May wondered if they were related. The warm glow of the floodlights made Steven's hair appear almost appear faded blonde, but under further observation, May could tell it was shockingly bright, almost silver. The silver of his hair juxtaposed nicely with his dark suit. The only color he wore took the form of a red ascot, quite similar to the bandana May wore to keep her hair back. And yet he looked and dressed unlike anyone May had met before in Hoenn.

May subconsciously fidgeted with the hem of her shorts.

"Oh, um, I'm so sorry if I caught you at a bad time, Steven. My name's May," she prattled, her voice raising from whisper-level to shrill in a matter of words. She winced at her not-so formal address that President Stone had given her, as it wasn't clear to May just how old Steven was. His face looked young, but by the way he dressed, he could be thirty.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" he asked, though without wavering in politeness. His expression was inscrutable, and it made May feel like she indeed caught him at a bad time.

"No, ah, but I know President Stone. He asked me to deliver a letter," May stuttered, and began rummaging through her purse to find the letter.

"Oh, drat...I just saw it in here a second ago..." she chuckled nervously, feeling sweat bead on her brow. She felt the letter the very bottom of her bag, but when she pulled it out, some of the contents of her bag flew out onto the cave floor, scattering and making both a mess and a noise. Maris leapt out of the way.

"Oh my gosh," May muttered, her face flushing bright red as she quickly knelt down to retrieve her fallen belongings. Steven swiftly mirrored her, kindly helping her collect a few runaway potions and antidotes.

"Thank you, I'm so sorry," May gushed. But when she hazarded a glance up to Steven, she thought she detected a faint smile around his mouth.

"Happens all the time, I'm sure," he said lightly. May bit her lip as they stood up. His expression went back to being inscrutable.

"Here," May sighed, before handing him the now slightly bent envelope. His eyes narrowed as he took the letter from her. She noted that he wore a strange, iridescent stone on his lapel in the form of a pin. She wondered if it served any purpose other than adornment.

"My father sent you," he murmured softly, though it strangely wasn't a question.

"Y-your father? President Stone is your father?" May stuttered dumbly.

He scanned over the cursive handwriting on the envelope, considering it, before stowing it away, unopened, inside his jacket pocket. His inscrutable frown cleared like smoke in the wind into a smile. It struck May odd how well-rehearsed it felt, almost as if Steven was putting on a mask.

"Yes, he is," Steven sighed oddly. Something about Steven's expression made May think that maybe Steven had a tense relationship with his father.

Steven then extended a hand, "It's a pleasure, May." May grasped it.

"My apologies. My name is Steven," he smiled softly.

"It's nice to meet you," May smiled back. Steven considered her for a moment.

"So, how do you know my father?" he asked.

"Oh, um, I just met him in Rustboro," she said simply.

Steven's eyes narrowed, "You _just_ met him and he already trusts you enough to send you on a personal errand? That doesn't sound like my father." May chuckled awkwardly, thinking that Steven was kidding, but by his serious expression, May could tell that he was going to require more of an explanation.

"It's a rather boring story," she said flatly, fidgeting with her hands.

"Well, you've certainly piqued my interest," Steven shrugged. May's pulse quickened, and she looked down at her dusty tennis shoes nervously.

"I, uh, stopped a thief who had stolen some machine parts from Devon, and after your, uh, President Stone heard that I was traveling to Dewford, he asked me to stop by here and drop this off to you," she rambled. Steven's frown returned.

"Please tell me that he at least offered you a reward for your time and help?" Steven asked lowly.

"Oh, of course he did! I promise that it wasn't a problem since I really was already heading out here," she assured him. Steven's posture and expression softened a bit.

"So, what did he offer you?" he asked, leaning in. A strange shiver crept up May's spine.

"Oh, um, he updated my PokeNav."

Once again, Steven paused thoughtfully and looked over at her a second time. It took everything in her body not to fidget or look away from his gaze. His eyes shifted briefly to Maris, who had been clutching May's leg for the length of their conversation. His posture suddenly relaxed and his gaze softened.

"So, that means you're a trainer then," he said simply, "where are you from?"

"Petalburg, originally. But most recently Littleroot."

"How long have you been training?" Steven asked.

"About two months," May said, quietly.

Steven's eyes widened, "You've only been on your journey for two months and you've already made it to Dewford? That's very impressive." May blushed.

"Well Professor Birch and his son really helped me get started, I don't think I could have made it this far without them," May said modestly. Steven's eyes glinted at May's mention of the Professor, which for some reason surprised her. Steven did not look like the kind of person who would ever have a reason to visit the sleepy town of Littleroot, let alone interact with Littleroot's eccentric but kind Professor Birch.

"Do you know him?" May asked. Steven nodded, a secretive smile playing at his lips.

"Yes, we go way back."

"Oh? Are you a trainer too?"

Steven thought for a moment, and then shrugged, "In a manner of speaking, yes. I did go on a pokemon journey a very, very long time ago."

May frowned, considering his face again. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, let alone how old he was, by his features.

"H-how old are you?" she stuttered, her eyes darting away from his gaze.

"Twenty-five."

Before May could respond, Steven's eyes darted to Maris, who had been quietly waiting during their conversation.

"And who is this?" Steven asked, crouching down to meet Maris. The kirlia appeared to blush, if that was even possible for pokemon. May resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was always such a flirt.

"This is Maris," May laughed, nudging her pokemon forward.

Steven's eyes darted back up to May, "Maris? Like the-"

"Sea," they both said simultaneously. May blushed. Another strange, inscrutable expression crossed Steven's face that May wished she could understand. Steven turned his attention back to May's pokemon.

"May I, Maris?" Steven asked, extending a hand. The psychic pokemon blushed again and reached out tentatively for his index finger. A warm light hummed from the tip of Maris' hand to Steven's finger in the way that kirlias often connected between pokemon. Yet Steven was unfazed.

Steven then looked up at May from the ground.

"Is she your starter pokemon?"

"Oh, no, um," faltered May. She knelt down by Maris and Steven, who were still touching. "I have a marshtomp, Finn, and he's my starter pokemon. Maris has been with us for about two weeks now."

"Two weeks?" Steven's eyes darted to May in surprise. Maris darted into May's arms at Steven's sudden shift in volume. May stood up, cradling Maris in her arms, and Steven quickly mirrored.

"She's quite advanced for only two weeks of training. I'd say she'll evolve into her final form quite soon," Steven observed. Maris cooed happily at this.

"That's great news!" May cheered, giving Maris a squeeze.

"I do admire psychic types, they are so..." Steven paused thoughtfully, thinking of the perfect word, "_perceptive_. But ralts are rather rare in the wild," Steven murmured, still eyeing the tender pokemon.

May nodded fervently, "A lot of trainers have mentioned that to me. But my friend and I didn't have any trouble catching them on Route 102."

May's mention of her friend piqued Steven's interest.

"Oh? Are you traveling with someone?" he glanced to the passageway opening, checking to see if she came alone.

"Oh, um, no, I like traveling by myself. Wally just needed some help in getting started," May shrugged. Steven stared at her again, for the third time.

"You seem to have a passion for helping people for someone who likes to travel alone," Steven said with an odd tone of amusement, "Coincidently, I also like to travel by myself. I'm interested in rare stones and gems, so I find myself in caves and mountains here and there. Today my journey brought me here, to this," he said, gesturing to the expansive mural.

May looked at the mural again, the same sense of fear, but duller this time, returned. Steven hazarded a glance at May from the side.

"If I may be so bold, do you feel anything in particular when you look up at this wall?"

May hummed at his question. She could feel Maris turn her face away into the folds of May's clothes.

"Yeah, it fills me with dread just looking at it. Is it a pokemon?" Steven nodded.

"Yes, from a primal world, lost thousands of years in the past. It was a legendary pokemon of tremendous power and it became humanity's greatest threat. I think that the dread you feel is an appropriate response, in light of this ancient artwork."

"What terrible power," May murmured. Steven eyed her curiously, with a slight smile on his face.

"…Indeed. But not all power is terrible. Your pokemon are clearly quite capable as well. Looking at you all together…" a knowing glint darted across his face, "I think that you have in you what it takes to become a pokemon League Champion...of course, if that is what you intend to do through your travels and training." May smiled at his words and nodded.

"Yes, I'm completing the League challenge. Finn and Maris actually just earned their second gym badge today," she said proudly, and Maris cheered.

Steven smiled fondly at May and Maris. "I see that a congratulations are in order. If you keep up with your training, you will surely make it far."

"How do you know that?" she asked, stroking behind Maris' red sensors. He smiled at her strangely, as if he knew a secret.

"Just take my word for it," he winked. May's cheeks flushed red, and she wished that she had some control over her emotions.

Steven sighed and glanced at his watch. "I'm afraid I must be going now. It was wonderful to meet you, May," he said, looking at her warmly, "Good luck to you. Thanks for delivering this letter," he said, tapping his jacket pocket.

"Oh, it was no problem at all. I'm glad to have met you," she said cheerfully. His smile deepened as he considered her and Maris once more. A stroke of memory flashed on Steven's face, and he all of a sudden looked a little embarrassed.

"You must have gone through some trouble to track me down in this cave. I suppose I must also repay you in some way...Let me see..." he said suddenly, feeling around his pockets for something. May's eyes widened. If the familial connection hadn't been established before between President Stone and Steven, May certainly detected it now.

"No, please, your father already helped me out a lot with the update," she pleaded, gesturing broadly. He pulled out of his pocket a small, silver disc in a plastic case.

"Nonsense. You would have received that update for free in a few weeks with everyone else. That isn't what I consider proper compensation. Here, I will give you this TM-" May began to shake her head, but Steven thrusted it towards her.

"-Please accept it. It contains my favorite move, Steel Wing." There was a knowing glint in his steel grey eyes. May accepted it warily.

"Thank you," she sighed, "I'll try to make good use out of it." His smile deepened, and he bowed his head slightly to the young woman, before turning to leave. May stood watching him, holding the gifted TM in her hand and Maris in her arms. But Steven turned back to look at her once more.

"I get the feeling I'll see you again soon," he glanced down at May's kirlia, "and you too Maris."

"Y-you do?" May stuttered. He leaned in closer.

"Yes, I do... until then," with a final nod and smile, Steven left almost silently from the warmly lit cavern.

May stood breathless for a brief moment, considering the very strange line of circumstances that led her here, to this cavern, under this painting, and to this rather alluring man. Whoever Steven Stone was, May indeed hoped to see him again.


	4. ch 2: confide

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for the reviews and follows/favs while I was away. I made some small changes to the prologue after finishing the outline for this story, as some details needed consistency/clarity. Despite canon, May is seventeen at the start of her pokemon journey. Anyway, thanks again for the support!

* * *

**Ch. 2: Confide**

The slate-gray streets of Mossdeep City were alive with Hoennese flavor and color. After hours of air travel from Kanto to Mossdeep, May finally made it back to her home country's soil, just as the sun began its descent on the horizon. The island bloomed with late-summer tourists, as throngs of trainers and families dressed in beach attire flitted about the streets. May grimaced, though amusedly, at the sight of sunburned faces and legs.

Instead of flying from Mossdeep to Ever Grande or the cabin, May figured her team would be equally tired and could use a good night's rest in Mossdeep's only hotel: the seaside resort looked as though it had been hewn out of black granite, and it reflected the fading sunset light beautifully. Although May felt the weight of a day's worth of flying and time changes in her eyes and bones, she refused to fall asleep now.

With her backpack still on her shoulders, she meandered towards Mossdeep's scenic ocean overlook. Her eyes drank in the sights of glimmering seas and swaying mangroves that freckled the shoreline, and a deep sense of nostalgia wrapped her heart. When she was traveling Hoenn, she remembered seeing young families of Mossdeep congregate on the green to watch the sunset and have an evening picnic. Tonight, May felt as though she was experiencing Mossdeep anew, as she passed by children playing with their small pokemon. She leaned over the railing and closing her eyes, breathing in the salty mist and sounds of the ocean. The late summer sun hung low in the sky, casting a persimmon hue on the undulating waves.

Though time in Kanto gave her distance and healing, May felt as if she had been abruptly snatched back up into reality. A few days after her phone call with Drake, May quickly tied up her affairs in Kanto and began careful planning of her upcoming match with another Champion. In her mind, there was an endless to-do list that felt like it had taken on a life of its own. Gym leaders and League officials from around the world would be staying at Ever Grande in a week to participate in battles that would be televised internationally for years to come.

May remembered watching such battles as a child, with a starry-eyed fervor and wonder. Though she was humbled to be participating in that same legacy for the next generation, she knew that her team had long nights of preparation ahead of them. Battling a Champion, any Champion, required planning and strategy.

She inhaled deeply with her mouth and nose, tasting the salt on her tongue, and plopped down on the green. The sound of children laughing on the beach below reached her spot. She pulled out her DexNav.

On the device's screen was a long list of RSVPs, trainers who had agreed to come and participate in the Convention's battles. Though she couldn't wait to meet some of her childhood heroes, like Bruno and Sabrina, May spent her attention on researching the Champions of other regions, one of whom might be her opponent in battle.

"Okay... Iris of Unova... youngest champion in League history, specializes in dragon type pokemon..." she read quietly to herself, but May's jaw dropped at a picture of a tiny girl, who looked no more than fourteen, standing next to a gargantuan haxorus and holding a trophy of some sort. She flipped to the next slide.

"Cynthia of Sinnoh... no type speciality, has held the position for more than ten years... starter pokemon was a riolu..." May smiled at a picture of a young woman sitting proudly next to her rather serious lucario. Cinched in her flaxen locks were beads that mimicked her lucario's ears. Her lucario seemed to be graying around the eyes. May wondered if Rio would start to look like that in a few years.

Though some Champions were younger than May, she felt insecure about her age and ability, that celebrated Champions like Cynthia or Lance would look down on her youth. League Conventions were meant to foster friendship between regions, but in May's mind, it felt like she had to defend her house. She suddenly felt Finn rumble inside of his ball at her waist, as if hearing his trainer's inner monologue of self-doubt and insecurity. May felt comforted, reminded again of her team's faith in her and of her need to have faith in them.

She turned her attention away from her screen and looked out at the beach and horizon once more. The sunset's colors swelled to even deeper shades of red and orange. Young couples and families stood in the sand, taking photos of one another with the sky as their backdrop. Sadness flickered in May's heart - in wake of flying home and planning for the League Convention, May kept herself busy so as to not think about Steven.

Mossdeep was a city punctuated with memories of Steven, and for some time after he left Hoenn, May found herself unable to visit and enjoy this place. After all, how could she?

Mossdeep was the place where Steven made his home, and he made it clear to May that he didn't want her a part of it. Her eyes trailed naturally to the right, where Steven's house sat at the end of a long road that jutted out into the sea. His home, his things, his domestic life had all been shrouded in mystery to May.

She remembered with aching dread those silent stones encased in lucite, the untouched bed, the simple table with a letter and pokeball, the only sound but the sea. It made her shiver.

_A house key and a baby pokemon_.

A cynical smile crept up on May's face; it would have been a fitting gift if they had been dating, but even back then, May knew that it was a childish, idealistic fantasy. From the outset of their acquaintance, it was clear that Steven could never, or would never, think of her that way. She met him in the heart of Granite Cave after she had just turned seventeen and begun her pokemon journey. He was twenty-five then. Those eight years between them might as well have been centuries, from the way he looked at her, the way he treated her. But now, any semblance of friendship they had then was proven to May to mean nothing to him.

But, she didn't blame herself for pining for Steven in the wake of his departure all those years ago. She was young, and he captivated her heart, but he, well, what did he see in May? She often wondered this. He recognized her potential immediately when they first met in that dark, cold cave on Dewford Island. But his thoughts about her were closed and obstinate, and May resigned to the fact she would never know him, despite how hard she had tried to get close. He was a closed book that she hoped to have finally shelved for good.

They were strangers now.

Even still, he was then the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. She had enjoyed the friendship of many men throughout her journey: Brendan, Wally, Wallace, and Sid. Sometimes May would try to imagine herself dating those men, to see what it would be like to open up to them or even to kiss them. It was an interesting thought experiment, but May could never get over that fundamental hurdle of attraction. Steven, however, never failed in making her weak at the knees. He was always on the table, for her at least.

_And yet, I'm over him. I'm over him, I'm over him, I'm over him_. May repeated to herself, like a mantra. And she so nearly fooled herself into believing it.

Feeling a dull ache return to her legs, May stood up and stretched. She walked along the top of the green, her eyes trailing absentmindedly to the furthest reaches of the beach. The patch of mangroves swayed gently, as the waves lapped up around their trunks.

The sunset at last began to dim, and the families and couples that populated the beach began to wane as the night started to set in. It was time for her to turn back, too.

As she turned from the beach, her body halted, as her eyes caught a shock of silver hair. Her eyes darted frantically, back to where her eyes had so absently gleaned over.

_It can't be_, she thought, she willed.

Her eyes scanned the beach again, thinking to herself that she was only tired and fooling her mind.

But he was unmistakable: pristine black suit and a loose red tie, messy silver hair. It was Steven Stone, walking on the beach below the slope May stood on.

She felt her stomach plummet, and though every part of her body told her to run, she couldn't leave nor take her eyes off of him. All of those years of not hearing his voice or seeing any pictures or news of his face condensed into one moment, as May, almost greedily, observed him from above.

He wasn't alone.

To her dread and further shock, a woman, dressed in white, with brown hair twisted in Heidi braids strolled next to Steven. Her lips moved, and she gestured gently – whatever they were talking about, Steven appeared to be interested.

It suddenly dawned on May that her elvish face was painfully familiar.

"I...I think that's Diana? No... _Diantha_," May whispered, placing her face as Kalos' Champion and star actress from the guest list. Her heart toppled with dread.

Steven was unmistakable. _Diantha _was unmistakable.

Her curiosity had rent asunder her will from her mind; she wanted to leave so badly, to run away and wash her mind of the nightmare, but she couldn't. She was frozen in place, looking at the pair as they walked and laughed about God-knows what.

_Why, why did he have to come back?_ she thought, staring at his face. His face morphed into a laugh that reached his eyes. Did he ever laugh like that with her?

But as fate had its way, Steven's eyes flickered unintentionally to the green ledge above the beach, where May stood, gaping openly with crossed arms. He must have also not been expecting to see her face, as he did a double take, looking just as frozen and shocked as she did in seeing him.

May's adrenaline and thoughts jumpstarted when they made eye contact across the air and space between them. She whirled around and sprinted towards the city. She missed the look of pure joy on his face as she ran from his sight.

* * *

May reached the lobby of the hotel in record time, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She ignored the stars stippling her vision and ache from her shoulders as she, unsuccessfully, tried to get ahold of Phoebe on her DexNav.

She thought that, out of all the people who kept consistent tabs on Steven, Phoebe would be the most likely to know why he was with Diantha. And Phoebe would also keep it quiet that May asked, unlike Wallace.

"Come on, Phoebe, pick up, pick up, pick up," May muttered, calling her one last time. But May heard the answering machine's droning message again, and she sighed.

Her eyes stung with an emotion she couldn't quite place between dread and shock. She felt safe in the hotel, that Steven couldn't find her here, that no one would see her cry. But May's mind hummed with turbulent thoughts after seeing him, thoughts that her gardevoir could feel, thoughts that Mewtwo could read. Though Maris and Finn were well aware of May's complicated feelings about her predecessor, this was a side of May that Mewtwo would see for the first time.

That thought was deeply unsettling to May. She was still gaging their friendship and his trust. Was it really a good time for him to see her in distress, to see this darker, more intimate facets of her life?

But she knew she couldn't hide this from him. After she got her key from the front desk, she hurried to her room, avoiding eye contact with the other guests and pokemon that flitted about the lobby.

May laughed to herself at the irony of this whole evening: how she had so fully convinced herself that she was over him, that she was going to be indifferent and apathetic towards him. And yet, seeing Steven brought all of that to a crashing halt. The memories and feelings that May had ran from were still here, even after months away in a foreign land. Running had worked for Steven; why hadn't it worked for her?

By the time May reached her door, tears were streaming down her face, and she steadied herself against the doorframe to catch her breath. _If Mewtwo thinks I'm weak_, May thought, _at the very least he'll see that I'm honest about it_.

She opened the door to her hotel room and set her bag and pokeballs down, before darting into the bathroom to collect herself. May screamed internally at her reflection in the mirror. Her matted hair was bumpy and disheveled awkwardly, and dark circles formed under her bleary eyes; did she look this ragged when Steven saw her?

She ran the water. Its coolness was a balm to her red eyes, as she cried softly in the sink.

It was all true – his time in Kalos, his homecoming – and yet it still didn't feel real. The man she saw just now was indeed a mystery, a stranger. She didn't know what stung more: his leaving four years ago or his quiet, apathetic return.

May walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand, and at once noticed the form of a man on her balcony. He was dressed in casual clothes, admiring the gentle seas and fading twilight down below.

The man turned at the sound of May's steps, but as he walked through the threshold, the appearance faded, leaving Mewtwo in its wake. May fought hard to repress a shiver. It still freaked her out that he could transform at command into a human.

There was a look of surprise and shock on Mewtwo's face upon seeing his trainer, still so disheveled and out of breath from running and crying. May closed the bathroom door behind her and chuckled, to lighten the serious mood already settling into the room.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked, wiping her clean but red face with a towel.

_Is everything alright?_ Mewtwo asked, his deep voice penetrating her own turbulent thoughts. May plopped down on the bed and hummed absently.

"Mossdeep is a great city for sightseeing. If we didn't have to get back so soon, I'd show you around, and maybe even introduce you to Liza and Tate...you remember, the psychic twins I was telling you about?" May blathered, as she untied her shoes.

_May._

"Of course, you remember. I think they'd love to meet you whenever you feel comfortable with-"

The psychic interrupted her train of thought by teleporting in front of her, startling May to a yelp.

"Ah! What the heck, I told you not to do that!" she snapped, looking up at him. There was a hard glint in his eyes.

_May, enough of this mindless small talk. What_ _happened while you were out to make you so upset?_

She stared at him, like a petulant child, with tear-stained cheeks. But her expression softened under his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Mewtwo. Just give me a moment please," she said, before slumping into a ball on the hotel floor, her hands covering her eyes as she fought back tears. There was silence for a moment, and then, she heard and felt him reach out tentatively to May's forehead. May didn't look up to meet her friend's eyes or resist his paw. A wash of relief and peace cracked like an egg over May's head, as her sobs slowed, and her breathing became less erratic. She wondered if this was yet another power in Mewtwo's arsenal she hadn't discovered.

Without picking up her head, she mumbled into her knees, "I saw Steven walking on the beach just now." May paused, as she looked for words to explain him and their connection.

"Steven was... I actually don't know what he was to me. He was the Champion I succeeded at the League. He left Hoenn four years ago after I beat him and... we haven't really spoken since." May decided to leave Diantha out of it. Either way, she wasn't sure what they were to each other, and she didn't think it productive to process that out loud with Mewtwo.

_Yes, I know, _Mewtwo said simply. May perked her head up, eyebrows raised critically.

"What do you mean 'you know'? How do you know about Steven, I've never mentioned him to you before?"

Mewtwo shifted uncomfortably, _You dream about him sometimes._

May's mouth fell open, "I _dream_ about him?! In what way?" She hoped and prayed it wasn't anything inappropriate. Mewtwo eyed her funnily.

_Mostly of him leaving. I didn't realize he was so important to you, until I saw how tormented you would become in your sleep._

May laughed without humor. "Sounds about right."

_And also, Finn and Maris are quite opinionated about Steven. They eagerly filled me in on the rest_.

May didn't want to know what "opinions" Mewtwo was talking about, for she figured they were probably bad.

"Well... I'm glad you know. It takes the pressure off having to be the perfect, shining example of humanity to you," she muttered, a smile finally breaking on her lips.

_Your anger towards another human doesn't cloud how you are as a trainer and friend to me and the others._

May nodded, "Thank you for saying that. I'm glad you came back with us."

The psychic pokemon looked down shyly. He was still learning how to receive compliments.

_Will you see him at Ever Grande next week?_ Mewtwo asked, after some silence. May frowned. She hadn't even considered it a possibility, though now she realized, he was probably invited as a formality. It was suddenly a very real possibility to her that she might see him again soon. The thought alone made her double over in anxiety.

"It's unlikely," she insisted finally. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, as though he didn't believe her. May also didn't believe it herself, but she couldn't discuss this, or him, anymore. She stood up and started making tea, signifying to Mewtwo her mental conclusion of their conversation.

She could tell in Mewtwo's eyes that he wanted to ask her more questions. As to why he was so interested, the only legitimate answer May could come up with was that he simply cared about her, as his friend and now trainer. It made May feel even guiltier for dropping the conversation.

As Mewtwo watched his trainer bustle about the room, Mewtwo sighed mentally and resisted the urge to read her mind. He indeed wanted to know more, by virtue of the fact he deeply cared about this woman, and because her other pokemon were concerned by their trainer's abrupt decision to leave Hoenn for the summer. Eventually, the other three popped out of their balls as May ordered food and started talking about their plans for the next month.

Her usual gentle voice had a forced buoyancy to it, that Maris immediately detected. She turned to Mewtwo searchingly for answers, who promised to speak to her later when May was asleep. Finn also noticed May's odd behavior but decided not to press his trainer either. If May was indeed over him, as she so painstakingly tried to tell herself, her pokemon, and close friends, she certainty wasn't demonstrating it well.

A sense of unease filled Mewtwo's mind. Whatever was about to happen in the coming days, he could not foresee a possible outcome.


	5. ch b: helping hand

**A/N: **I took some liberties with Route 110 layout.

* * *

**Chapter B: Helping Hand**

The Shipyard at Slateport City was an eyesore in what otherwise was a beautiful beach town. It sat on a rather uninteresting part of the city, far from the beach or from any local concession stands or from the open air market. And while most of the city enjoyed expansive views of the glittering seas, the Shipyard was situated on the tail end of Route 134, where the rapid currents dumped the debris of Hoenn's oceans. To put it plainly, the Shipyard was the last place May wanted to be while in Slateport, but nevertheless, she found herself here.

May was annoyed.

It had taken her a lot longer to reach Slateport than planned, and what was intended to be a quick stop to drop off the Devon parts to Captain Stern, morphed into a tedious, drawn out affair with Team Magma. Though she was relieved that her team got away unscathed from their battles with Team Magma, she knew this was going to set them back from challenging Mauville Gym by at least two days in order to rest and recuperate.

May exhaled deeply, trying to regain her composure by reminding herself that so much of this was indeed out of her control. She leaned on the railing, waiting patiently for Captain Stern to finish filing a police report so that she could hand off the Devon parts. Though this was the first Captain Stern had heard of Team Magma, this was May's third encounter with the criminal syndicate. After her initial run in with them in Petalburg Woods, May assumed Team Magma to be an odd pokemon fraternity of some sort, in red pajamas. Indeed, the only members of Team Magma she had dealt with thus far had been teenagers and young adults like herself, and so she thought nothing alarming or concerning about the group.

But today marked a sharp change in her initial impression of them, giving May a sinking, sobering feeling.

Maxie.

With his crimson suit and spectacles, he wasn't a name or face she had heard or seen before, but the way he spoke, the way he waxed poetic about his mission... it was almost hypnotic.

Magnetic.

Even Captain Stern and his crew seemed quite shaken after the whole ordeal. She wondered if Maxie's grunts believed as strongly as he did and if it was just a testament to the power of strong rhetoric that he's gotten this far in garnering followers.

_'The land...It is the stage upon which humanity stands. The land exists so we humans might continue onward and upward, stepping into the future...For us to continue growing and evolving, humans require a grand stage upon which to stand. A land upon which we can strive forward...'_

May pondered Maxie's words and what he meant by them. To May's ears, it almost sounded like he wanted to obliterate the world's oceans. Although she was no scientist, the thought alone was ludicrous to May, but she still tried to imagine and give color to what he was saying. There was something deeply disturbing to May about the thought of an ocean-less world. She couldn't even conceive of it, like a world without the sky or a world without beauty.

"Young lady...Ah, Meg, is it?" the middle aged Captain asked, interrupting May's turbulent thoughts.

May smiled understandingly, "It's May." The Captain nodded and whistled out of exhaustion.

"That was quite a tense situation back there. Thank you for helping me out, May! Oh, yes, I almost forgot that you brought the parts from Devon!"

"Right," May chirped, leaning down to grab the small attaché case by her feet. She happily handed it off to the Captain, relieved to finally be rid of the extra weight. The Captain gasped excitedly.

"This is it! I can't be standing around here! It's finally time for us to set out on our ocean-floor expedition! Thanks for this, and excuse me!" Before the Captain could even finish his sentence, he skipped away from May's sight, bustling about the Shipyard with his crew.

May stood there, mouth agape, feeling like she had just been duped. All of that time and ordeal and all she got was a half-hearted thank you. She felt Finn nudge her leg tenderly.

May smiled kindly to her starter pokemon, "You're right, Finn. Let's get going."

As May trudged out of the Shipyard, she kept her eyes down, thinking about all of the things she had to do in preparation for her gym challenge with Wattson. _First, I have to actually get to Mauville, then I need to arrange an appointment at the Pokemon Center, and shop for supplies... _As May thought through her mental list, the warm ocean winds whipped her hair into her eyes. She didn't mind where she was going.

"Hey, watch out!"

May yelped in pain as she collided into a tall man, knocking the stack of papers the man was holding all over the ground. May didn't even register the person's face, but stood, mouth open dumbly, looking at the mess of papers already scattering in all directions. Finn gave an exasperated huff.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" she gushed emphatically, kneeling down to frantically gather the fallen papers. As she hurriedly gathered up the fallen papers, she was surprised to hear a deep laugh from above. She glanced up to see Steven Stone's face, looking down on her with an expression that could only be described as one of pity and amusement

"Why, hello there. We met in Granite Cave, didn't we?" Steven, his eyes focusing hard as he tried to place May's face. May was sadly disappointed by this. She had remembered his name and face quite well: why didn't he remember hers? His eyes then widened in realization. "No, I remember it. It's May, right? It's good to see that your journey is going well and that you've made it this far to Slateport."

May immediately sprang up, her hands plastering the remaining of Steven's papers to her chest to keep them from blowing away.

"S-Steven! You're here! I-I mean... what are you doing here?" May blurted, her cheeks pulsating red and her hair still in her face. She then gasped, in realization.

"Your papers! I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz!"

Steven blinked once, as if he was still processing the meaning of May's almost incoherent blathering.

"I was in the area for research, and then I got a call from the men at the Shipyard that Team Magma had made an appearance again," his eyes darted down to May's chest, "and those were some of my field notes."

May's eyes widened in horror. She screamed internally.

"I'm so, so sorry, Steven," she moaned. A kind light came to Steven's eyes, and he smiled diplomatically.

"Please, no need to worry. I promise they weren't important. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said, taking the remaining papers from May, "I must get to the Shipyard before Team Magma leaves. I would stay out of the area if you can, until they're cleared from here."

"Um, Steven?" May called. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at her, somewhat impatiently. A sheepish smile lit May's face.

"Team Magma is gone, they fled about an hour ago."

"What? Did they steal the Devon parts?"

May shook her head, "No, I took care of them."

Disbelief flickered across Steven's face.

"You 'took care of them'?" Steven repeated with an arched brow. May nodded, but Steven continued to stare, assessing her cooly. Something about his gaze was unnerving, and a bit insulting: did she really not seem strong enough to beat the weak trainers of Team Magma?

"Erm, is something wrong?" May asked. Steven's eyelids fluttered back to reality, and he shook his head.

"Forgive me, I just find it noteworthy that you defeated an onslaught of Team Magma grunts by yourself."

May's cheeks burned, "I wouldn't call it an _onslaught,_ it was just a few trainers, oh?" May was interrupted by Finn tugging at her leg impatiently. The interruption caught Steven's attention, and he glanced down to the marshtomp.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up, "this must be... _Finn_, right?" The marshtomp's eyes narrowed coldly up at the stranger, who apparently knew his trainer and his nickname.

May's eyes widened, "You remembered!"

"Yes, well, your nicknames are rather creative," Steven chuckled oddly. Just as he had done with Maris the kirlia, he knelt down to introduce himself to May's marshtomp.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Finn. Thank you for saving the day back there," Steven smiled warmly. Finn grunted happily in response, puffing up his chest.

"I bet you're enjoying being so close to the ocean, huh?" Steven asked. The marshtomp grunted before shooting May an annoyed look. May bit her lip as Steven looked up at May questioningly.

"I, uh, haven't really let him swim."

Steven frowned up at May.

"Why?"

"We've gotten so side tracked the past few days. I can't afford to take another break," she said simply, though she felt weirdly embarrassed. Anyone else she wouldn't have felt bad about admitting this to, but to Steven, she feared he would think of her as a bad trainer. To her happy surprise, he smiled sympathetically.

"I understand," he stood back up, "I also find it difficult to take time off."

A tight smile tugged at May's lips; indeed, Steven looked like the kind of person who didn't ever take a break. From his clothes to the hurried, punctual manner in which he carried himself, Steven Stone struck May as intense and focused about his research and work. Though every part of May wanted to stay and talk with Steven, she still felt that nagging sense of urgency to leave for Mauville.

"Yeah, which is why I should probably get going before it gets dark," May sighed, looking at the low sun.

"Oh, are you staying in Slateport?"

"No, we're heading to Mauville City to try for our third gym badge!" May said brightly. Finn cheered with enthusiasm.

The smile and pretense immediately faded from Steven's face. He then glanced around and behind May, as if he was looking for something.

"Where's your bike?"

May frowned. "I don't have one, but there's a footbridge under the bike path that'll take us there."

"Yes, but in almost double the time. It's too far of a walk to start this late in the afternoon. By the time you reach Mauville, it will be midnight," he said lowly. At first May didn't know what to say. She was so shocked by Steven's sudden tone of concern; May felt as if she was about to be chided by mother for staying out too late.

"We'll be fine," May said petulantly, though even she began to fear how late it had gotten; the sea was red in the evening light, and the sun hung low on the horizon.

Steven shook his head and clicked his tongue, "Don't be foolish," and then, beckoning with his fingers said, "come with me."

May exchanged an exasperated glance with Finn, but after the day they had, May's will to resist had been worn down, and the thought of getting to Mauville in time for dinner was enticing to May.

They walked in silence out of the city, as May struggled to keep up with Steven's purposeful, rigid pace. Looming over the waters and land of Route 110 stood the bike trail, and May could see, to her annoyance, that Steven was right: the footpath seemed to take a meandering journey across the water while the bike trail cut directly across it.

Steven turned back to May, "There's a bike shop in Mauville that you should go to once you get in town, but for now, we'll rent them at the entrance."

May's head cocked at Steven's sudden use of the plural.

"You're coming to Mauville too?" she asked incredulously. Steven nodded, mirroring her similar, incredulous expression. She frowned. "Why?"

"It's the least I can do after your help today," he said simply, before opening the door, "shall we?"

May nodded and turned to Finn with his pokeball in hand, "I'll take it from here, Finn. Get some rest, you've earned it." The marshtomp shot one last look of annoyance at Steven's direction before going inside his ball. When May turned back around, Steven was still waiting by the open door, observing May. She caught his cool, assessing gaze, and flushed bright red, before quickly walking inside.

The bike station was rather dated, but there were four new bikes staked alongside the back wall. The clerk perked his head up at May and Steven, "Can I help you?"

May opened her mouth to speak, but Steven glided in front of her, "Yes, we'd like to rent two bikes and we'll drop them off at the Mauville station."

The clerk nodded, "It'll be 40 for both."

May glanced at the cashier and frowned, reaching for her wallet.

But Steven put his hand on May's wallet.

"Please, it's on me," he said softly, and then added, "consider it a 'thank you' from my father, since you let him give you gifts," Steven said with a wink. May's stomach clenched.

"A-alright," she muttered. The clerk eyed their exchange weirdly, though Steven didn't seem to notice. The clerk then wheeled out two bikes for May and Steven, and the pair walked them out on the bike path. As May fiddled with the kickstand and adjusted the seat, Steven eyed her curiously.

"You know how to ride a bike, _right_, May?" he asked teasingly. May shot him a dark glance, and in response, kicked off the ground and sped ahead of Steven, pedaling hard up the initial incline of the path. She resisted the urge to turn around and look at his face, but within a few seconds, Steven caught up to her, chuckling lightly.

"Slow down! You don't know where you're going!"

"What are you talking about? It's a straight shot!" May countered. Indeed, the bridge stretched ahead of them, the two lines converging into a single point in the horizon. The light of the golden sun bathed the path in a pretty way, and May breathed in deep the sudden rush of warm air.

"Fair point," Steven chuckled again, and for a while after, they rode in silence side by side, as May took in the glittering vistas of the water and skyline from the bike bridge. Unbeknownst to her, Steven kept hazarding glances at the young woman's jubilant expression.

"This is _stunning_," May murmured, detecting the faint whiff of salt air from the seas and its tributaries below them. After she got a good momentum on the bike, she kicked both of her feet up in front of her, giggling as her bike wobbled, "And _so _fun, too!"

"Indeed. Have you been to Mauville before?"

May shook her head.

"No, and actually, this was my first time in Slateport, too," May smiled sheepishly at Steven. Steven frowned a bit.

"Oh," he said, crestfallenly, "I'm sorry you had to spend your visit dealing with Team Magma."

"It's really fine. I'm glad I was there to help," May smiled at Steven. He frowned again and quickly looked away from May, towards the path ahead. Her cheeks pinkened as silence settled between them again.

"Are you prepared for your gym battle against Wattson?" Steven asked, breaking the silence.

"I think we are," May hummed thoughtfully, smiling at him. She knew that her team was doing well by the way in which she breezed through the other trainers she met on her journey. She hoped they were a good indicator of the kind of skill required by the gyms she was traveling to, but she was never certain.

"Wattson is a formidable opponent. I hope you plan on using your other pokemon besides Finn?"

"Yeah, I mean, Finn does know some ground-type moves, and I just caught a roselia yesterday on the way over to Slateport."

"Good."

"Do you, um, know Wattson?" May asked awkwardly.

"Only casually," he said simply. He glanced over at May, who looked like she needed more of an explanation. "Wattson used to work for Sea Mauville, a big competitor to my father's company."

May frowned. She remembered hearing her father talk about a research facility that had sunk into the sea, when she was younger. The looming outline of Mauville City began to materialize before them. It wasn't dark yet, but the city's lights already beaconed brightly.

"Gotcha, so… are you heading back to Dewford after this?"

"Why would I be heading back to Dewford?" Steven frowned. May's expression matched to his.

"Don't you live there?"

Steven erupted into laughter, startling May's eyes wide open. She stared at him amusedly as he threw back his head, and a deep smile touched his eyes.

"No!" Steven exclaimed, "did you think I lived in Granite Cave, like some barbarian or something?"

"I mean, maybe!" May shrieked playfully, matching his tone, "I've seen trainers camp out in a lot worse!"

Her cheeks burned red and her eyes went back to the path ahead, peddling a bit faster; despite succeeding in making him laugh, she felt so foolish. Steven used a free hand to wipe his eyes as he regained composure, still chuckling softly.

"Fair enough. No, I'll head back to Mossdeep after this. That's where I live."

May's smile returned at the thought of Mossdeep. She was eager to eventually make her way to eastern side of Hoenn, where the seas replaced forests and earth and grass. But time and many more gym badges were required of her and her team to make the journey. At the rate she traveled from Dewford to Slateport, she feared it might take a couple years to make it out that far. The thought alone made her sad.

"Is your family from there?" May asked.

"No, we're from Rustboro. I moved to Mossdeep about five years ago."

"For work?"

Steven shrugged, "Something like that."

May frowned; she found it odd that someone would just up and move far away from their home and family. But then again, her mother did the same for their family, and May was doing the same on her pokemon journey. Perhaps, Steven was also yearning for independence and distance.

"What is your favorite thing about Mossdeep?" May asked brightly. Steven's eyebrows arched with amusement at her query.

"That's a good question," Steven hummed thoughtfully, "and as you know, I'm quite interested in precious stones, so I would have to say, Shoal Cave."

May's interest piqued at a place she had never heard of before, "Shoal Cave? What's that?"

"It's a salt cave located right outside the city on the ocean, or... rather, it's _in _the ocean. The tide changes what parts of the cave are accessible. It's a fascinating place. When I first moved to Mossdeep, I visited quite often for research...and rest too, I suppose." He added the last bit after some consideration.

"You _rest_ inside a cave?" May repeated incredulously. Steven chuckled.

"No, I mean that I go there whenever I need distance or peace," Steven glanced at May, gauging her reaction. "It's good, healthy I think, to have places like that to ground you."

"You think so?" May asked.

Steven nodded.

"Of course. It might be something to look out for while you're on your journey…even though it's hard to stop, rest is necessary for the health of your team and wellbeing."

"Yeah, I'll definitely keep that in mind," May smiled, "Shoal Cave sounds like a lovely place. Hopefully, I'll get to go there soon," she added wistfully.

Steven turned to her, a secretive glint in his eyes, "I am sure you will make it there, one day."

May laughed, eyeing Steven suspiciously, "You're always so sure of me. What about me makes you think that?"

Steven shrugged, "Hmm, that I don't know. But, whenever you are in the city, I will gladly show you around Shoal Cave. I think as far as caves go, you would probably enjoy it."

May's eyes flickered brightly, "How so?"

Steven paused again, "Because it's a cave in the ocean."

May flushed. Had she really been that obvious about her love for the water, or was Steven really that perceptive? Either way, May took it as a compliment and smiled at him kindly. Ahead, the bike trail began to decline towards the Mauville side of the bridge.

Once Steven and May dropped off their bikes to the station, they walked the rest of the way to the gates of Mauville City. This time, the silence that stood between them wasn't as intimidating as May thought. Today's interaction with Steven revealed to May how perceptive and probing Steven was, and that his silence, though unnerving for her, wasn't necessarily bad. Thus, she resisted the urge to pepper him with mundane questions.

By the time they reached Mauville's gates, the sun had already set. The wilderness around the city came alive with the sounds of late summer, as bug pokemon chirped and swarmed happily in the waning heat and waxing moonlight.

"I suppose this is a good place to part ways," Steven said, stopping abruptly. May turned to him and nodded, flashing an awkward smile. She wasn't exactly ready to part with her new friend, as she thoroughly enjoyed spending the afternoon with him. She tried not to look too sad as he glanced at his watch.

"Yeah, thanks for your help today, Steven," May said. Steven hesitated a moment, and May couldn't decide if he was about to say something, or if he was waiting for May to leave.

He sighed and reached for a hidden pokeball in his pocket. May's eyes widened as a giant metal bird materialized in a flash of white, its wings creaking as it stretched lazily.

"I-is that a skarmory?" May marveled, eyeing the strange bird. The bird's black eyes darted to May's voice, alert at the presence of a stranger.

Steven flashed a brilliant, knowing smile, "Yes, very good of you, May."

To May's delight, the skarmory's expression softened at his trainer's voice. The pokemon turned its long neck to pick under its red and metallic wings, comfortably grooming itself in front of May.

"It's a very beautiful pokemon," she murmured, almost to herself. She took a long look at the strange, almost mechanical looking bird.

Something about the skarmony struck May as odd. It was obviously an older pokemon, by the stoic way it carried itself and the striking number of scratches and dings in its metal armor. She wondered if this was Steven's partner pokemon, or if he had pokemon even older than this.

"What is his name?" May asked, turning to Steven. A strange, boyish grin graced Steven's face, and he looked down at his feet. Was that embarrassment May detected on his cheeks?

"His name is Ferro," Steven murmured, stroking skarmory's beak.

"Does it mean anything?"

"Yes, 'steel' in Latin." Steven glanced perceptively at May, who blushed under his gaze.

"Hmm, creative," May eyed him funnily, referencing his same observation hours earlier. But Steven didn't seem to notice.

"By the by, have you had a chance to put _Steel Wing_ to any use, yet?" Steven asked, as he stroked the silver beak of his skarmory. May shook her head sheepishly.

"No. I don't have a pokemon yet who could even learn it."

Steven frowned thoughtfully, though he didn't look offended by May's confession.

"You know, May... In this vast world, there are many kinds of pokemon. They come in many types... I wonder if you've given much thought to raising different types, or only pokemon of a certain type?"

May's eyes widened at his sudden question. For whatever reason, it seemed like this was something Steven had been thinking about for quite some time.

"Oh... um, I haven't really ever considered raising just one type. After all, Maris isn't a water type like Finn. But I have given a lot of thought to how I want to grow my team."

"Oh yes?" Steven asked, leaning in closer to her. May gulped and tried not to fidget under his gaze.

"Um, yeah, I just...want to give it thought whenever I add someone new to our team. We're...we're like family," May said simply. A kind light came to Steven's eyes briefly as he considered May's words. He then shook his head, as if he were waking himself from a day dream.

"Not that it's anything I should be concerning myself with…" he sighed, pausing again.

"But... right now I find myself wanting to know what you think," he looked out over the water and bridge, before turning back to May. May's eyes widened deeply, her mind racing as to what he meant by that.

"Well, I suppose I should be going. I hope to see you again though, May."

"Yeah... same here," May chirped and then winced, once she realized that didn't make sense. Steven didn't seem to notice, though, as he climbed on his skarmory's back. The bird pokemon's large metal wings creaked as it stretched them out to its fullest wingspan. With two powerful, expansive gusts, the skarmory took off into the dark night sky. Within a few seconds, Steven's form was lost from May's view, leaving her alone, again, in the relative quiet of the evening. She was tired, but in her mind, she was secretly grateful. She felt that, unlike their first meeting, May was more herself in front of Steven and that he seemed to open up to her.

As May watched Steven leave again, she began to ponder the strange string of circumstances that brought them together this afternoon, hoping that it would happen again.


	6. ch 3: return

**A/N: **Many thanks to the guest reviewers, **quali-tea-individual**, **Perko**, and **mirrorkinomoto**, especially for your faithful reviews! **Perko** \- I do hope you update your story and I'm honored mine is giving you inspiration to finish!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Return**

Dawn – its rosy fingers stretched over the horizon where the sky bled into the sea. While the city of Mossdeep slept soundly, May rose alone on the rooftop of the hotel, taking in the first light of morning and the fragrant aroma of the ocean.

She decided to leave at dawn so that no one would spot her flying with her two rare, exotic pokemon. But, if she were honest with herself, she also wanted to avoid running into Steven again.

In the distance, May could see the outline of his home, bathed in soft light. Her stomach churned at the image of Steven walking with Diantha last night; May wondered painfully if she was there, in his home, with him. But, she expelled images of the two in amorous embraces out of her mind. He obviously didn't care to see her or talk to her as a friend, and what Steven did or didn't do with another woman was of no concern to May.

She turned her eyes to the ocean in front her—there were far better things ahead anyway.

At her resolve, she released Mewtwo from his ball in a flash of white. The psychic clone gave a drowsy stretch and groan, eyes squinting as they adjusted to the rising light. Though Mewtwo was perhaps the most intelligent and humanlike pokemon May had ever met, he was not a morning person—much to her amusement and delight.

"Good morning," May cheered. The psychic pokemon eyed her wearily, giving her a stiff nod in acknowledgement. He then looked around perplexedly, seeing as they were alone.

_I thought we were flying?_

"We are. I normally fly with Loch, my salamence, but he's still at the cabin. Which means you get to see how I summon Latios."

Mewtwo's attention piqued at the mention of Latios. In the budding days of their friendship, forged in the depths of Cerulean Cave, May told Mewtwo stories about her one-of-a-kind psychic dragon who elected to join her team many years ago. The hope of friendship and companionship that was absent from Mewtwo's life in Kanto was enkindled again in his heart through May's stories about her life and team in Hoenn. She hoped, with a tinge of pressure, that she and her pokemon would be able to deliver on those promises.

Reaching inside her bag, May produced a rusted copper flute and held it up for Mewtwo's inspection.

_What is it? _the psychic asked.

"It's called the 'eon flute.' Latios can hear it from anywhere in the world."

_How did you find that? _Mewtwo marveled, running his paw over the medieval etchings of pokemon and nature on the flute.

"Steven gave it to me some time ago," May murmured gently. Looking at the flute, she thought of expansive blue skies and of moonlight and of salty air. Her smile was tinged with melancholy and nostalgia as the interwoven memories of Steven and Latios surfaced in her mind. It did not slip Mewtwo's notice.

With her fingers aligned, May played the simple melody, and the flute's rich vibrato filled the air and space around them. The flat calm of the ocean began to ripple, and the wind hastened, and all at once, the roar intensified as Latios whooshed in front of May and Mewtwo at a blinding speed.

The blue dragon cried exultantly as he crashed into his trainer, knocking the wind and laughter out of her – never was there a sound sweeter to May than Latios' cry.

"Latios! Oh, how I've missed you!" May cheered, throwing her arms around the dragon's neck and pressing her lips to his blue and white scales. The dragon cawed happily in response, nuzzling his trainer in the morning light.

Latios cawed again, but this time to greet Mewtwo, who was watching their exchange with an odd expression. In May's mind, Mewtwo seemed a bit nervous.

"Latios, this is Mewtwo, one of our newest recruits from Kanto," May said, smiling warmly between the two.

To May's surprise, Mewtwo was the first to initiate contact—his eyes lit up blue along with his frame, as he telepathically communicated with Latios.

Latios looked delightfully surprised at the gesture—the dragon's mouth opened a bit and his eyes widened, as the pair began to speak in a way that transcended May's understanding. The dragon cawed again, and Mewtwo glanced over at May knowingly. She wondered what images they were sharing; what stories were being told between the two. A kind smile played at both of their lips as they shared in their psychic abilities for a few minutes.

Though May hated to interrupt them, she feared the rising sun and the possibility of being seen.

"I hate to interrupt, but we should head out before someone spots us," May murmured, glancing down at the streets below. She tried not to think of Steven. The two pokemon broke their connection and turned their attention back to their trainer as she spoke.

"I usually ride on Latios' back, so you can fly beside us until or if you get tired, Mewtwo. It usually takes us about two hours to reach the cabin from here," May said before turning to Latios, "Let's fly over the water until we reach land. Then, let's cut across Mt. Pyre to the cabin. Sounds good?" Both pokemon nodded. Latios lowered himself enough for May to climb on.

Once she was adjusted, they took off into the sky, towards the ocean. Wind and light and sun and sea filled May's lungs, and she felt a deep sense of homecoming and adventure return to her core. It was as if the ocean wind itself breathed new life in her as she soared towards her home. Mossdeep and with it, Steven, faded behind her—he could never reach her here.

The ocean below them was a flat calm, and the sky turned the waters into a lovely shade of periwinkle. Latios dove under a flock of wingulls, dipping May's feet in the water. She shrieked happily and clutched Latios' neck. She hazarded a glance back at Mewtwo to see him also smiling in his own way at the beauty of the waters below them. That same blue light enveloped Mewtwo, as he flew psychically, in a way very similar to Latios.

"I've missed this, Latios," May murmured as she ran her hand down the dragon's neck. The dragon warbled happily at May's touch.

During their flight, May occasionally pointed out landmarks to Mewtwo, who appeared to be deep in thought and concentration. She told Latios stories of Kanto that she thought he would appreciate hearing—of her accidental run-ins with dragonites and dragonairs and of her newly captured pikachu.

Their flight across the ocean was short, however, as they gained altitude to coast above the summit of Mt. Pyre and the forest boughs of Route 123.

As Latios began their descent, May breathed in deep the familiar smell of rain and moss on Route 119. Though it was drizzling and overcast, the rising sun cast a bright glow through the clouds, illuminating the world.

_Are we close?_ Mewtwo asked, though he had been mostly silent during the journey. May nodded eagerly.

"The cabin is just past the waterfalls."

The trio flew above two rows of roaring falls, until finally reaching the cabin at the edge of the woods. Mist rose from amongst the treetops behind the house, evocative of the fantasy novels May read as a child. Though Latios and May returned to land, Mewtwo remained in the air, hovering by the lush, happy boughs.

_I will wait until the other human leaves_, Mewtwo said, before disappearing in the forest line. May nodded and slid off the dragon's back.

"Thank you, Latios," May pressed her forehead against the kind dragon. He hummed against her touch.

But as she turned to walk towards the cabin, the wooden door swung open as her pokemon dashed out to tackle and greet their trainer. Latios cawed and laughed happily at the sight, as he too missed his trainer dearly. Rio tightly hugged May's arm while Foss, May's absol, jumped up on his hind legs to clamber up and lick May's face. Her roserade and salamance, Beau and Loch, while not usually wont for physical affection, showed equal enthusiasm and desire for their trainer's attention.

Finn and Maris got out of their balls, also eager to be reunited with their family. May laughed blissfully as feathers and fur and scales pressed to her face in greeting.

"Three months was too long, I promise to never leave you all again!" May cried as she knelt amongst her core team. Their happy reunion was interrupted by the sound of deep laughter. May glimpsed up to see Wally leaning in the doorframe, a huge grin stretched across his face.

"I couldn't have imagined a better thing to come home to. They've been glued to the windows all night waiting for you, May!" Wally laughed. May beamed lovingly at her pokemon.

"Wally! It's so good to see you! Thank you so much for watching them," May said, standing up from the group, "I hope they weren't too much of a handful for you."

Above the color gallery of pokemon, May could tell that Wally had acquired some new muscle since she'd last seen him. His green hair was tousled ruggedly, and there was a steady maturity about his posture and gait. Though she was used to seeing Wally grown and healthy, a part of her still always remembered the pale, frail teenager from her travels.

Wally shook his head humbly, "Not at all—they were a breeze. They made for good training practice with my team, and I really think they helped us make some progress!"

May's eyes widened, "Oh? I didn't know you were back at training again, Wally! That's excellent news!"

"Yeah, just for now," Wally deflected, glancing at the ground in deep thought. May nodded, knowing he was ready to drop the subject. But, he seemed to shake off whatever concerns momentarily troubled him and gave May a sunny smile.

"Here are your keys. And what did I tell you? Cabin's in one piece and arson-free," Wally teased. May laughed out loud.

"I'm honestly so relieved, and thanks! Are you coming to the League Convention next week? Drake said I could bring guests to the opening gala, so you're welcome to come," May offered hopefully. Wally's smile faded sadly.

"I would, but those parties aren't really my kind of thing. But hey," he gasped suddenly, in realization, "did you know that Steven's back? Actually, he's _been _back for a while now! I think he must have got in right when you left... hmm, it's a wonder you didn't bump into him at Slateport Harbor," Wally said, almost searchingly. May shrugged.

"Oh yeah, I think I remember Wallace saying something about it when we talked last time," she said, feigning indifference. She tried not to mind as her lucario Rio huffed lowly at the mention of Steven.

"I bet he'll be happy to see you," Wally said, though May knew he didn't mean anything by it. In Wally's mind, Steven Stone and May were just friends, nothing more or beyond that.

"Maybe," May shrugged again. Wally frowned as he checked his watch.

"Well, I should probably get going, and I know you'll want to settle into your home alone," he said kindly. May nodded, giving him a brief hug.

"Yeah. I can't thank you enough for taking care of my team and house, Wally!" she said, as he summoned his gallade to teleport. The gallade kindly greeted May and Maris specifically as he took his trainer's hand. Wally then looked up, his eyes and expression suddenly solemn and gentle.

"May, it might be a while until I see you next, but hopefully it'll be soon."

May frowned at the odd tone of his voice but pushed a generous smile through.

"Of course. You know where to find me," she winked. At that, the pair teleported away.

Her team besides her had quieted at their exchanged, and though May indeed thought it odd, she let it go, happily turning her attention to her pokemon.

"Now," May began theatrically, "who's ready to meet their new family?!" Her team chorused happily in response. May enlarged Firth's pokeball and threw it out onto the damp earth in the middle of her team. The small electric mouse stirred sleepily out of her ball, though she straightened at the sight of new surroundings and new faces.

"Firth," May said gently, placing a reassuring hand on the pikachu's back, "this is our team."

The tiny pikachu cried joyfully at new faces, but happily trotted over to Maris's side, whom she had grown used to as one of May's few female pokemon.

"And then Isla," May released her espeon, which she had received as a gifted eevee. The sun pokemon stretched out lazily like a cat, already at home in the comforts of May's land and cabin.

May smiled contentedly as her team, old and new, mixed with one another. After years of training pokemon, May knew that it would take some time for the team to acclimate to one another, just as it takes people a while to warm up to new friends. Her core team throughout her pokemon journey had capped naturally at eight, though May had always yearned for more. Now, she felt like her team was finally balanced.

Both Finn and Maris shot May a confused glance, as to them, it was obvious they were missing one. May acknowledged them with a stiff nod and cleared her throat to regain attention.

"We have another new member, but before I introduce him to you all, I wanted to say that he's one of a kind, like Latios, and isn't with us to battle, but to be a part of our family," May began. Her pokemon looked excited

"Mewtwo?" May called, turning towards the tree line. Out of the dripping boughs of the trees, walked the legendary clone towards the group.

Unlike when he had met Latios, there was a bit of a hard edge to Mewtwo's eyes that caused Loch the salamence to shift nervously but May smiled to reassure her team.

"Mewtwo, this is the team," May said, as she began pointing out and naming each of her pokemon to Mewtwo. The rain helped offset the initial awkward silence, as May's pokemon inspected and greeted Mewtwo.

To May's delight and relief, her team received Mewtwo with kindness and intrigue. Rio the lucario was particularly impressed with Mewtwo, as he walked up to him and began to commune in a way that May or the others couldn't hear. Though Mewtwo was astonished by Rio's boldness and touch, May wasn't.

At his touch, Rio often communicated to May and other pokemon with his presence or aura. Although she had heard legends of lucarios capable of human or telepathic speech like Mewtwo, Rio's aura language was simple yet deeply profound: he spoke through the intermingling of images, sounds, and smells, like a symphony of sensation.

A kind light came to Mewtwo's eyes as May's pokemon surrounded him warmly, and the other newcomers, in loving attention. May felt her heart swell at the sight. This was the thing she had hoped to see: Mewtwo loved and accepted for what he was.

After initial greetings were sufficiently made, the happy group walked out of the drizzle and into the warmth and hearth of the cabin for fellowship and food.

* * *

The familiar sounds of nighttime reverberated through the valley of Route 119, as the rain shook through the pines and the buzz of bug pokemon came alive. May stood by the kitchen sink, underneath the dim light of a lamp, washing the dishes from dinner and thinking absentmindedly about her remaining chores.

Outside, she heard the playful growls of Rio and Firth as they sparred. Somewhere else in the cabin, she heard the sound of a door open and close, and then the sound of paws pattering distantly.

Moments like these made May feel like a mother, living in a household of children, except her children were her pokemon she had raised over the years. It wasn't an unwanted feeling for the young woman, but rather one deeply riveting and fulfilling. There was a facet of May that always yearned for a family, and she wondered if it would ever be in the cards for her. Her life had been such that all she'd ever known was pokemon. Battling and traveling punctuated her life for so long; it made her wonder if she could ever do anything, be anything other than a Champion and trainer. Her father's face flickered in her mind – could she genuinely say he did both parenting and training well?

Prior to May's summer in Kanto, these domestic rhythms, these quotidian mysteries of home life at the cabin were a beacon for May and her team after a long work week in Ever Grande. She loved that she had her pokemon to share in this life with, but as she dried another dish, she wondered if it could ever be more beyond the walls of this cabin, beyond the borders of this country.

May then heard Firth's charming cry again from outside the window. She stood on her tippy toes, peering out to see what was going on between her team.

_Looking for something?_

Mewtwo's kind voice touched the depths of her mind. May turned around to see the psychic, leaning in the doorway. Rain flecked his shoulders and forehead – yet another thing the cave dwelling clone would need to acclimate to. But he didn't seem to mind.

"Just making sure they're not playing too rough out there."

Mewtwo snorted. _They tried to entice me to spar. I figured you wouldn't be too happy, so I declined._

May smiled sweetly, "That was probably wise, but you're free to do as you wish. I want you to have fun with them."

The psychic clone didn't respond, but drew closer to May, observing the progress of her chores.

"So, what do you think of the cabin? Bit of an upgrade from Cerulean Cave, right?"

_Indeed. I can see why you weren't despondent about returning._

"Yeah, it's a nice place to have, and I think you'll like Ever Grande, too. You can see the ocean from my townhouse there."

_How often do you spend here usually?_

May shrugged, reaching for another dirty bowl, "Usually just the weekends. Since there were only eight of us before, I would bring the whole team with me back and forth. But, now that our team has grown, it might be time to invest in a house with a bigger yard in Ever Grande so that we can all be together there."

_When will you go back to Ever Grande?_

"Day after tomorrow is when Drake said he needed me there. But, I was thinking we'll go to Meteor Falls tomorrow afternoon, so you can see where and how we train."

_Falls? I thought you said you trained in a cave?_

"It is a cave. It has a whole underground water system. It's one of my favorite places to train in all of Hoenn."

_I see._

"What do you think of the others?" May said lowly, glancing up as her team play outside. She grimaced as Rio fell on the ground, locked in slimy tussle with Finn. Both of them would be caked in mud later that would inevitably get tracked into the house.

_They are very entertaining. You are a rather close-knit_ _group. _

May nodded. "We've been through a lot together. High highs and low lows tend to forge those kinds of bonds."

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, before May added, "I noticed that Rio has taken quite a liking to you."

_Yes. I believe we will be good friends for each other, especially since he feels lonely._

At that, May nearly dropped the bowl she had been washing, and she turned to look at Mewtwo.

"What? Rio feels lonely?"

Mewtwo mirrored May's look of confusion.

_Yes... didn't you know that_?

"Are you talking about lately, like since I've been gone for the summer?"

Mewtwo tilted his head in confusion.

_No. I think it's a normal thing for him._

"Oh..." May whispered, looking at Rio from outside the window. Rio had retired from their earlier scrimmage, as he intently observed a new sparring match that had developed between Firth and Beau. Maris cheered next to Rio, though Rio remained stoic, absentminded.

Guilt and dread assaulted May's gut - had she really been so inattentive to her one of her oldest friends?

"I... I had no idea." Mewtwo's eyes went to the floor.

_It's not your fault._

"But I've been blind to it... how could I be so blind to it?" May's voice broke, trailing off.

_I think it's just a consequence of not being with his own kind._

"I suppose…that makes sense…" May whispered, as silence fell between the two.

_I shouldn't have said anything_, the psychic pokemon finally said, his telepathic voice sounding despondent in May's mind. May smiled reassuringly and shook her head.

"No, I'm so glad you did, Mewtwo. If any one of my pokemon feel that way, it's important that I know."

_Why do you care so_ _much_? Mewtwo's voice seem to blurt in May's mind. May thought quietly for a moment at his question. So much of Mewtwo and May's relationship was Mewtwo asking questions into May's motives, like he was indexing data and knowledge about humanity. May nearly always found it endearing.

"Because, we are a family. Humans and pokemon are not the same, but we do experience and process emotions similarly. I've felt lonely before, and I know I can, at the very least, help Rio through it if he will let me."

_You've felt lonely?_

May nodded fervently.

"Absolutely. It's quite common for most people feel lonely at some point in their lives."

Genuine astonishment colored Mewtwo's face.

_Even with your own kind?_

"You mean when I'm with other people do I feel lonely?"

Mewtwo nodded.

"Yeah, sometimes in a group of people, even my friends and family, is when I feel the loneliest."

May thought back to the long stints of training during her pokemon journey, when she'd be alone in the wilderness for days on end. Oddly enough, she didn't feel lonely when she was alone training with her pokemon. It was in the occasional moments of fellowship, like when she'd train with Wally and Brendan that she felt sad and misunderstood. And especially in the interludes she had shared with Steven did she feel that deep sense of dread and loneliness. For her pokemon were always with her, but Steven would always leave, until another time.

She remembered with a pang of grief the early days of winning the Championship, after Steven had left and when she couldn't bear to sleep alone at night and need Finn or Maris at her side. Loneliness and grief had indeed been unwanted bedfellows for some time.

_I... I thought I was the only one to feel such a thing._

May smiled graciously, "That's what my mom told me when I was growing up: that no one is alone in feeling alone."

A strange expression broke Mewtwo's face. May frowned.

"What is it?"

_Why pursue friendship then if you're still going to feel lonely?_

May turned off the water and set the dishes down, for they could wait. Mewtwo was searching her in earnest regard; these questions of his were perplexing and personal, and May felt the pressure to answer candidly.

"Well," May took a deep, fortifying breath, "friendship does make life sweeter, more meaningful. That doesn't mean friendship is always perfect, or easy. It can be so hard to let others in, because the closer they get, the more they see the darker, broken sides of you that you don't want to acknowledge. But friends can help you grow and improve. It's like what I told you back in Viridian City—do you remember?"

Mewtwo nodded slowly, _You said friendship can call forth what is good and beautiful in the other._

May smiled, "I truly believe that. I also believe that friends do help us feel less alone in this world, especially when we're honest with each other."

_Do you feel lonely when you're with us?_ Mewtwo asked. May shook her head.

"Hardly ever," she answered genuinely. Mewtwo thought for a moment, then asked another question, which May was not anticipating.

_Do you feel lonely because you don't have a partner?_

"W-what?" May spluttered, turning bright red. Mewtwo flinched.

_I was just curious... I know some humans partner with one another for life._

"Um, they do that, yeah," May said shortly, after a moment of silence. Mewtwo could tell that May was embarrassed, though he didn't seem to understand why.

_I see. I think that's why Rio feels_ _lonely_.

"Rio feels lonely because I'm not dating anyone?" May repeated dumbly. Mewtwo shook his head.

_No, because he does not have a mate._

May blushed even deeper, though this time she knew it was stupid why she did so. It wasn't like she was uncomfortable with the thought of her pokemon thinking about mating and breeding. It was very much a natural thing, but as a trainer, pokemon breeding was complicated, and not something May could easily factor in with their rigorous training schedule. Seldom did trainers make it to the League and also become accomplished breeders with their own pokemon.

"I see," May muttered. Mewtwo looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but his eyes finally went to the floor. May decided now was her opportunity to change the subject.

"By the way, have you see your room?" May asked brightly. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed.

_My room?_

May motioned for the psychic to follow her, as she led him through the cabin. As they passed through the living room, the fire place at the center crackled warmly. Across the living room was a corridor, with many, simple bedrooms branching off from it.

In furthest room was a bed and a window, facing the trees. There was a bookcase, half full of books May read during her student days in Petalburg. May allowed Mewtwo to enter first.

"I figured you would need your own space to meditate, or rest, whatever it is you do when you close your eyes for hours on end," May teased, "and you're obviously welcome to sleep in any of the bedrooms with the others, but... this is your own space for you when you need it."

As May spoke, the psychic clone absorbed the room slowly, running his paw over the bookcase and peering out of the window. May observed him silently, before turning to leave.

"I should get back to the dishes," she murmured quietly. Mewtwo's voice stopped her again, but this time, she detected more emotion in it than ever had before.

_Thank you, May, _was the clone's simple, but poignant response. She nodded once, leaving him to his own devices, and returned to the kitchen to finish up the last of the chores. A deep sense of emotion rose in May as she buried herself back in the dishes. Not that May needed Mewtwo's gratitude—so much of their friendship had been unspoken and understood, but Mewtwo's gratitude and desire to stay with May was saliently clear to her in that moment. She knew that, out of all the things Steven had unintentionally done for May, gaining Mewtwo's friendship was by far the most precious silver lining out of them all.

As she reached for the remaining dishes, she could hear her pokemon still playing outside loudly. The rain still fell gently.

By the time the bags were unpacked and the dishes were dried, May's pokemon had settled down and saw themselves to the various bedrooms and cozy nooks around the cabin. A little past midnight, May was the last to climb into her bed. Though someone usually found their way to her side in the night, her pokemon were all too excited to be back home together to calmly sleep next to her. Besides, May had a lot to process and needed to be alone.

As she watched the rain fall gently outside her window, she thought sadly for Rio and of the sinking news she had received earlier from Mewtwo.

Though it wasn't a complete surprise to her that Rio felt lonely, May thought he really did a good job in concealing his loneliness. On some level, May knew this was inevitable - from the moment Rio was traded into their team, she was aware of the breed's familial tendencies and communal nature. She knew lucarios mated for life and formed families and packs that rivaled human marriage in its sanctity and permanence. She knew that, no matter how great and accepting she could be as a trainer, she could never replace that kind of bond.

Through the wooden walls of her cabin, she could hear the sounds of her pokemon, chittering quietly as they spoke in a tongue May would never understand. To her sadness, May realized a lot of her questions - the yearning and the churning over her team and her own future and desires - would go unanswered tonight.

In her deep, steadying breaths, she tried her best to let go of those worries and fears. In its stead, a feeling of warmth and wholeness came over her, one that she hadn't felt in a long time. So often had true happiness evaded her—from the sweet but fleeting moments with Steven, to her exhausting role as Champion, May knew to accept what happiness she was given with gratitude and peace. Even if tomorrow brought with it Steven and all of the pain from their friendship, and more disappointment from her job and place in life, May knew that, above all else, she had her pokemon to return to.

And tonight, tonight that was enough.


	7. ch c: frustration

**A/N: **Quick note about nicknames. I hope I haven't been too annoyingly obvious about the play on stones/earth and water imagery for Steven and May. May's pokemon nicknames all have some correspondence to water, not really based in any one particular language. Steven's pokemon nicknames are strictly Latin, related loosely to different stones and earth. If you have any questions about names, just ask!

* * *

**Chapter C: Frustration**

Verdanturf was a quiet town cradled between Rusturf Tunnel and Route 117. Because of its place on the foothills of Mt. Chimney, it was often one of the last frontiers of Hoenn's warm, late summer weather. On this particular day, the skies were vibrantly blue. Soft clouds teemed on the horizon. Families and pokemon congregated on the green in the town square. Though May's spirits would generally be lifted by the warm weather and clear skies, today she found herself on the verge of a breakdown.

On a green hill, located far from the friendly town traffic, May was slumped down, in front of a rather indignant looking riolu. It was only a matter of time before one or both of them snapped.

"Please, try to eat something, Rio," May whined, holding a bowl of pokemon food next to the tiny blue pokemon. The riolu's arms were crossed petulantly, with an apathetic expression on his face as he considered his trainer's offer.

Finn, Maris, and Beau the roselia sat nearby, cringing at their trainer's tenth attempt to make nice with their newest member. Even they knew the riolu's attitude wasn't boding well for the progress of their League Challenge.

"If you don't eat, you won't be strong enough to train, and we need to get you up to speed with everyone else," May tried to explain calmly as she inched closer with the bowl of food. May heard Finn sigh from behind, as if to signal his own resignation of the situation. Anger ignited inside riolu at May's presence and Finn's attitude, as he deftly swatted the bowl May was holding out of her hands.

May snatched back her hand, this time with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Rio!" she shouted after the pokemon as he trudged away. The tiny pokemon finally slumped by a tree with his back turned to them, signaling the mental conclusion of their interaction.

After days of holding in and stuffing her anger, May felt her patience and resolve finally break, as all of her emotions rushed out in a garbled cry. She soon felt the arms of her marshtomp and kirlia wrap around her, while Beau the roselia stomped towards Rio, fuming at the riolu's blatant disrespect.

"Don't Beau," May choked out through her heavy voice. The roselia halted at his trainer's command, but not before firing Rio a dark glower.

Even if Beau could have put Rio in his place, what good would it have done? It was no use. May realized that she wasn't getting anywhere with Rio, no matter how much she tried to connect with him, no matter how many concessions or graces she allowed him. He hated her.

It became saliently clear to May that Rio wasn't ready to leave his previous trainer, and that he really didn't want to be in Hoenn either. The thought of tracking down his former owner crossed May's mind, with much guilt and nausea, but he was long gone, off to Mossdeep to perform in a contest. With no pokemon who could fly and with Finn not strong enough to ferry her across the ocean, May couldn't even make it out there if she wanted to.

May's stomach lurched as she realized she was in a position she never thought possible: being stuck with a pokemon who hated her and her team so much that he would rather starve. May felt the arms of her pokemon tighten around her as she cried harder and harder.

The future she had envisioned so surely, so confidently just weeks before suddenly began to fade from her sight - did this mean the end of her pokemon journey and League Challenge? The twin sisters of fear and shame drove May deeper into a spiral, as she thought of what her parents would say, what her friends would say, if she were to quit now. The only hope she felt was in the gentle embrace of the rest of her team – though she knew even they were frustrated with their trainer's lack of confidence and resolve.

"May?" a deep voice rose over the sound of May's sobs. _That voice, no, no, please don't be here, not now_. May glanced up through her watery eyes to confirm the voice's source: Steven Stone stood at the bottom of the hill, squinting up at May in the bright sunlight. Maris sung happily in recognition of Steven, and even Finn gave a grunt in acknowledgment. May bolted up mechanically from her team's embrace, drying her eyes and wiping her nose. To her surprise, she found her voice again.

"Hi Steven!" she called, and crossed her arms, as if for protection.

Steven's smile gleamed from below, "Stay there, I'm coming up!"

As Steven ascended the hill, May noted again the formal way he dressed and the dark palette of his clothing - this time, he carried a large briefcase in his hand. The same odd stone coruscated on his lapel as he walked in the sunlight. And though he had raced up to meet her, he halted a few feet in front of May, maintaining a cool physical distance between them, to May's dual relief and disappointment. While she didn't want him to notice her red eyes, she wondered sadly if that distance could ever, would ever, diminish.

"I had a hunch that you were here! At first, I spotted a marshtomp and kirlia at the top of this hill, and you're the only person I know with these two pokemon. Sure enough, it was you," he gushed brightly. May's eyes fluttered at his uncharacteristic cheerfulness, and she tried hard to match his good mood, but her eyes and nose were still red from crying.

"Y-yeah, you guessed it!" May cheered awkwardly. Steven's smile fell a bit, noticing the strain in her voice and her guarded body language. As if he took pity on her, he continued the small talk pleasantly and didn't inquire about her obvious distress.

"What brings you to Verdanturf on this late summer's eve?"

"Oh, you know," May trilled, "just training. We're gearing up to challenge Lavaridge Gym soon, once we're strong enough," she blathered. Steven nodded knowingly, his eyes darting to Finn at May's feet.

"I see. Flannery's gym shouldn't be a problem for you, with Finn at the helm. But, perhaps this little guy should stay behind," Steven said, referring to Beau. The roselia responded with an airy, dignified look as Steven studied the small pokemon. May chuckled fondly—Beau the roselia was her most dignified, reserved pokemon and did not overly share his affection, with her and especially with newcomers.

"This is Beau," May said, clearing her throat, "I think I might've mentioned catching him when we were in Slateport last month."

"Oh, I remember," Steven murmured, "it's nice to meet you, Beau. My, what unusual coloring you have..." Steven's voice trailed off as he crept closer to Beau. Indeed, the roselia's dual roses were striking shades of violet and dark navy, almost midnight, instead of the usual red and blue. Beau perked up his chin at the compliment.

"Yeah, someone told me it was rare for roselias to have these colors."

"Exceedingly rare," Steven's eyes flickered up to correct May. She blushed again and shrugged.

"Good fortune, I guess. We just happened upon each other in the wild," May smiled down at her pokemon, who returned the gesture coolly. Out of her own vanity, she hoped that the roselia would retain his coloring, if she decided to evolve him in a few years—he was simply beautiful to look at, and she was proud to call him hers.

"Have you caught any other pokemon since then?"

May's grin faded at his question. She resisted the urge to look at or draw any attention to her pouting pokemon over by the tree. She felt her cheeks prickle as she tried to think of a way to deflect him.

"Yes. I caught a plusle near the bike path after my battle with Wattson."

"Inspired by the electric type?" Steven smirked. May forced out a laugh.

"Yeah, I suppose." Steven cocked his head.

"May I meet her?"

May frowned and shifted uncomfortably. Though his level of interest touched her, she felt panicked at the thought of confessing to him. She tightened her arms around herself subconsciously, for security.

"That's the thing, I, uh," May began shiftily, "I ended up trading her."

May winced as she heard Rio sigh discontentedly near the tree. But Steven didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear. Trading pokemon is a great way to build camaraderie and foster connections between trainers and pokemon. What pokemon did you receive?"

May inhaled deeply, and turned towards her riolu, still sitting by the tree.

"A riolu, named Rio," May nodded in his direction. Steven followed May's gaze, and sighed to himself in recognition, as if something seemed to click for him.

"Ah, I understand now," he murmured quietly, as if making an observation.

"Understand what?"

"Why you were crying."

May's eyes shot wide and she felt her cheeks pinken.

"I-I wasn't crying," she stammered defensively. Steven pursed his lips at her, amusedly.

"Just allergies, then?" he teased. May's nostrils flared sharply at his presumption.

"Alright," she seethed, "I admit it's been hard couple of days, but I'm really not in the mood for your teasing-"

"I'm sorry," Steven blurted, gesturing widely, "I didn't mean to be rude or pry, but would you want to talk to me about it? I… I might be of some assistance," he offered warily, with a kind grin. May felt her cheeks prickle with a mix of emotions that she couldn't discern in the moment. She wanted to stay and talk with Steven, although not about the obedience problems of her own pokemon. But she knew that she needed the help, or any outside perspective from someone she could trust. The three pokemon at her legs looked up at their trainer imploringly, as if they even wanted her to take Steven up on his offer.

"It's a long story," May finally said. Steven smiled graciously.

"We seem to have the time."

"Fine," May sighed defeatedly, "just... give me a moment," she said, as she turned to the pokemon at her feet with their pokeballs. They looked sad to leave their trainer's side in her time of hurt, but they relented to her wishes. After they settled warmly in their balls at May's waist, she trudged towards Rio, who jumped up defensively at her approach.

"It's time to go back in your ball, Rio," May started, pointing the ball at Rio. Anger flashed on the pokemon's face as it was recalled into the white light of the ball—though she felt guilty, the pokeball was the only measure of control May still had on her riolu. She stared down at the ball in her hands. It seemed to burn hotly, as if Rio's very frustration and aversion was making the ball warm to the touch. She heard footsteps crunch in the grass, as Steven approached her from behind.

"So, you traded your plusle for a riolu, and now your riolu can't stand to be in your presence?" Steven murmured. His tone wasn't teasing as it had been before. It was as cradling and gentle as the summer breeze that touched them.

"Yeah, but you don't have to word it like that," May whined miserably. Steven chuckled again.

"Well, what exactly has been going on?" he pressed, leaning forward to catch her gaze. May frowned.

"It's really not that big of a deal, and I'm handling it myself. Besides, don't you have something more important to do with your time?"

"Like what?" Steven frowned, and May mirrored. Her eyes glanced down at the briefcase, still clutched in his hand.

"Like research for Devon, or whatever it is you do."

"I can take an afternoon off, I know the owner after all," Steven said with a wink. May snorted.

Steven stared at her expectantly, as if he was waiting for her to open up to him. She huffed again at his unspoken insistence, and then launched into her story from the past few days.

"Well, last week on the way to Lavaridge, I met a trainer from Sinnoh, and he offered to trade me his riolu for my plusle. He's only interested in raising cute pokemon for contests, and his riolu was on the brink of evolving, and apparently lucarios don't place super well in the cute division. He had made Rio hold an everstone, but Rio was really unhappy as he wanted to make his final evolution."

"That's unfortunate for the riolu," he commented quietly. May shrugged.

"I agree, but he really isn't a bad trainer. He is just very particular about his pokemon. Anyway, when he found out I was a competitive trainer, he asked if I'd be interested in a trade."

"Were you sad to part with your plusle?"

May nodded, "A little at first, but we hadn't been together for that long, and she was really quite taken with him, so I didn't feel that bad. And at first, Rio was fine too, and I thought he was taking to me warmly. It was only until after we traded, and Sergio left when Rio started to act out. He's been really disobedient and spiteful towards me and Finn, especially."

Steven hummed thoughtfully, though he didn't speak. May took another staggering breath, feeling her frustration and despair bubble over as she told him more and more of her woes.

"And now, we've just been stuck here for the past few days because he refuses to eat or train, so I don't know how much longer either of us can take this. My team is getting frustrated, with Rio and with me, for giving him so much time. I figured the fresh air of Verdanturf would put all of us in better moods, but it's just hopeless. I think it's over-" May's voice broke. She bit her lip and quickly turned away from Steven to keep from crying afresh.

"Wait, what's over?" Steven frowned. May adverted his searching gaze and tried to focus on the laughably blue skies above.

"My journey," May lamented, "I've been traveling for sixth months, and I've only won two badges. I'm so behind, and I have no idea of what I'm doing... My mom told me to just give up the League Challenge and do contests instead," May whimpered, as her emotions and thoughts began to spiral.

Steven's frown deepened even further. "Do you want to do contests?"

"No!" May sighed, exasperatedly.

And at that, Steven did something May never expected: he laughed, deeply, and truly, and from his gut.

May's eyes went wide as the sound of his laugh filled the air around them. As her initial shock waned, May felt angry, like he was patronizing her. Did he find her emotions and pain humorous? Did he think she was weak for crying? She immediately regretted opening up to him in the first place, and she wished she could push him away.

"What's so hilarious?" she muttered darkly, wiping her nose, and subconsciously shifted further away from him. Steven continued to laugh, as he rubbed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, May. I'm not laughing at you. Just the image that popped in my head of you in frilly contest regalia-" Steven started laughing harder now. She was reminded of the last time she made him laugh on their bike ride to Mauville, this time noting the way his smile touched his eyes, making them crinkle happily. Though Steven's presentation was almost always reserved and collected, May realized that this rare display of emotion was a privilege to behold.

His mounting laughter wore down her walls, as she eventually broke too, surrendering to the humor and ridiculousness of her situation at last.

"I just can't keep clean for that long to make it big in contests. They probably wouldn't let me on stage," May offered, and Steven laughed even more. She blushed under his grin and gaze, as he regained his composure and his laughter died down.

"Okay, listen," he cleared his throat, "when you're a trainer, you will certainly hit valleys. Everyone does—even if they seem like they have it all together-"

"Even you?" May blurted. Steven faltered from her question but looked at her kindly.

"Of course."

May frowned. Nothing about Steven looked like he'd ever been through a valley. In addition to his immaculate presentation and composure, Steven's face didn't seem to reveal much personal suffering. His eyes, though sometimes full of expression and life, didn't concede any lines from hard years or from sorrow. But then again, May had no reason to doubt the sincerity of his word.

"Valleys like these can be difficult, and they can make you wonder why you set out in the first place, but they can also be purifying, formative, depending on the way you approach them. And if you don't go through the hard stuff now, you won't be prepared for the harder trials down the line when they come. You're going to be a better trainer, better friend from this."

"I know, but I just don't see this getting better. He really hates me," May whispered and looked back down at her running shoes. Though she had recently cleaned them, they looked muted next to Steven's.

"I know it feels that way," Steven murmured, "but it will get better the more you train. Traded pokemon just have it harder than others, May. They have to live with the fact that, no matter how great or horrible their previous trainer was, they're someone else's pokemon now. They have to get used to new team dynamics, new routines."

"Yeah," May sniffled, wiping her nose. Steven smiled brightly.

"Don't despair. Just be patient and consistent with him and try to welcome him as best you can. He'll come around to you."

"What makes you so sure?"

Steven considered May in that cool, assessing manner again. She resisted the urge to look down from his gaze or fidget with her hair.

"I mean this when I say that you have very special bonds with your pokemon, from what I've seen of you and your team. And your relationship with your riolu will be no different. In time, he will realize how great you are and you both will move forward from this. I am sure of it."

May's heart quickened at his words and compliment, though she secretly wondered if he was being sincere, and what grounds and experience he had to judge her relationships with her pokemon.

"I suppose," May sighed.

"You will," Steven insisted again, this time leaning closer to May. She tried not to blush again under his gaze and approach, and hurriedly tried to change the subject to something lighter.

"So," she cleared her throat, "what are you doing in Verdanturf?"

Steven's back straightened at the question—the care and tenderness in his voice was gone, and it was as if he shifted into autopilot.

"Business," he said reticently, as a tight line formed at his lips. May frowned—she wondered why he felt the need to hide something.

"What business?" she pressed.

"My father asked me to come down here and clear a pedestrian path through Rusturf Tunnel, but when I arrived, the path was already cleared."

May's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed bright red. Steven started to chuckle.

"Well, by your presence here and guilty expression, I figured that you had something to do with it."

"Yeah," May laughed sheepishly, "I came here yesterday, and when I saw the path was blocked, I just had Finn take care of it. It wasn't a problem."

Steven rolled his eyes. "You keep putting me out of work!"

"Why is it always your job to take care of things like this, anyway?" May countered. Steven frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you showed up to Slateport when Team Magma arrived, and now you're here for similar reasons."

"What's your point?" he said, almost defensively. The slightly dark tone of his question startled May a bit, and she immediately regretted asking it.

"I-It just seems like you're doing jobs for the local authorities or Gym Leaders...and not for a researcher," she muttered, adverting his gaze. Steven considered her amusedly in silence, a secretive smile playing at his lips.

"Well then," he said finally, "you should take your own advice, Miss May, and stay out of trouble." Before May could retort, Steven held up a finger, his eyes widening in remembrance.

"Hold on," Steven said, fumbling around in his pockets.

"What is it?"

"I just remembered that I have something that will make your life easier."

He then produced from his trouser pocket a gleaming silver bell, held up by a crimson red ribbon. He handed it out to her, and as he did, the bell chimed with a sound so pristine, so full, that it sounded like light and wind.

"Here."

May cupped it tentatively in her hands, unsure of what to do with it, let alone what it was. "Erm, thanks?"

"Do you know what that is?" Steven asked with an arched brow. May shook her head.

"It's called a 'soothe bell.' The sound is supposed to put your pokemon at ease, which will in turn make them friendlier towards you."

"Does it work?" May's frown deepened as she considered the silver bell.

"Very much so. It's helped me soften even the toughest of steel hearts," Steven said, with a strange, secretive glint in his eyes. May looked at him funnily and wondered if he trained more steel pokemon in addition to skarmory, though she decided not to press him further about that.

"So, do I put it on his neck or do I play it when he's around?" May asked. Steven chuckled.

"Here, call him out of his pokeball."

May's eyes widened. He couldn't be serious? After everything she had just told him about this unruly pokemon, she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to meet him. But the expectant expression on his face said otherwise, and his eyes darted to the pokeball at May's waist.

"I don't know about that."

"Don't worry. He won't disobey me," Steven said simply. He was so sure, so confident. She was almost envious at how sure of himself he was. But she did as he asked.

When she called Rio out of his ball, the tiny aura pokemon stretched sleepily, before he shot May a dark scowl. His eyes widened at Steven's presence, as the silver headed man towered over the tiny pokemon.

"Hello, Rio," Steven greeted, "your trainer has a gift for you that she would like you to wear."

Rio frowned deeply at May and Steven and backed up slightly. Steven nodded to May.

"It's a bell for you to wear over your neck," May explained as she knelt down to tie the ribbon around her pokemon. But Rio resisted, swatting her hand away with a growl. Steven clicked his tongue chidingly.

"Listen to your trainer, Rio," Steven reprimanded. Both May and Rio's posture stiffened at the sudden, harsh command. Warily, Rio bowed his head to his trainer just enough to allow May to tie the bell around his neck.

The bell thumped against his blue fur, chiming softly and filling the air with its soothing, crystalline sound. The riolu looked down at the new object that hung around his neck with confusion, but to May's surprise, his harsh expression softened, and his defensive stance relaxed a bit.

"Very good," Steven observed.

May turned to Steven, eyes wide and mouth open unabashedly. How was he able to command Rio's respect so instantly?

"What?" Steven frowned, noticing the incredulous expression on May's face as she stared at him openly.

"How in the world did you do that?" she marveled.

"Do what?" he asked, nonplussed.

May laughed humorlessly. She found it hard to believe a man of his intelligence, age, and maturity knew not his effect on others, let alone her own pokemon.

"How did you successfully command him to obey like it was nothing? Especially after I've spent hours trying to command him, and he refuses to obey so much he spurns the food I offer him?"

Steven smiled tightly at May, but to her surprise, he looked a bit embarrassed – as if he had been robustly complimented in front of a group of people by a parent or teacher.

"Well, I don't know _how_. It probably just comes with age and experience. You'll get there in time," he said.

May's spirit fell at Steven's unwitting slight about her age. Though May sometimes forgot the extent of their age difference, it was clear to her in that moment that Steven had not. Something about that realization made her sad. _He's twenty-five, May. It's never going to happen so get over it._

"Yeah," May sighed, as she tried to shake off her thoughts and insecurities, "how did you even find this?"

She pointed to the soothe bell that was still being considered by Rio. Just as he did before, May's question made Steven pause thoughtfully. Though this time, he didn't try to evade the question or shift into autopilot.

"My mother gave that to me when I started raising pokemon, a long time ago," he said simply, though he seemed to study her expression as he spoke.

As Steven's light blue eyes went to hers, May's face burned brightly at the confession. His mother? A gift from his mother?

Unlike the previous gifts she had received from the Stone family, May felt, for some strange, imperceptible reason, that this wasn't one she could accept on good conscience. She hoped, with a dull ache, if it was possible that this was a romantic gesture. If it was, did he do this with a lot of women?

"Your mother gave this to you?" she chorused.

He nodded once, with a small smile. May frowned.

"Oh."

"Is something the matter?" Steven's smile faded at his question, and May's stomach lurched at the sight. With dread she realized how much she hated to disappoint him.

"No, but… I can't accept this, Steven," she sighed, avoiding his eyes.

"You have an aversion to my mother or something?" he teased dryly.

"N-no that's not what I mean," she spluttered, "I just mean that you probably shouldn't give me something like this."

"Why ever not?"

"I don't know," she chuckled nervously under his amused expression, "It just seems too sentimental for you to be giving it to me. I might lose it."

"How do you know what in my life has and doesn't have sentimental value?" he countered simply. It was May's turn to get defensive from the question, but before she could make another point, Steven quickly diffused her.

"Nonsense, it's mine to give to whomever I choose, and besides – she would've wanted a trainer to make the most of it. If you feel that strongly about losing the gift, you can return it to me when your riolu no longer requires it."

She bit her lip in defiance, holding his gaze and her ground. The riolu stood looking up between his trainer and Steven, an odd expression on its face – almost like amusement. But nothing about Steven's steely expression and posture indicated that he would cave first, and May didn't want to end the day like this.

"Alright fine, but only until Rio's done with it," she mumbled, smiling shyly. Steven's posture seemed to relax at May's acceptance of the gift, and he exhaled deeply.

"I will be waiting until you no longer require it, then," he said, smiling down at her.

May blushed, looking up at him with squinting eyes. Behind them, the breeze picked up, carrying with it the honeyed smell of pecha trees. The golden sunlight hit Steven's face and eyes, and it was as if the blueness of his eyes popped against the soft sky. His features, though carved and defined, were somehow soft under the fading daylight. She found herself imaging what it would be like to run her hand down his face, to his silvery hair.

And then she caught herself - she had been staring a second too long and it was now obvious. Steven shifted as May coughed and quickly looked away. She hoped and prayed that she hadn't been found out.

"Shall I accompany you back to town?" he asked kindly, to her surprise.

"A-are you sure?" May stuttered. Steven threw his head back in light laughter.

"You know, one of these days, you should stop second guessing me when I offer to do something."

May sighed in relief at the banter – if Steven had noticed her ogling, he at least took pity on her not to acknowledge it.

"Old habits die hard, but sure, that would be nice," she conceded. To her further bewilderment, he offered his arm. But Steven seemed like it was the most ordinary gesture in the world as he stared at her blankly. She nodded and recalled her riolu in a flash, before she took his arm. Her cheeks prickled hotly as she tried to quell her vacuous thoughts at the otherwise kind gesture.

"So," May's mind raced to find a normal conversation topic, "where are you off to next?"

"I'm heading back to Rustboro to update my father on the Tunnel, and then Fallarbor Town for a short spell."

"Oh? What's in Fallarbor?"

"I'm researching volcanic ash and meteorites."

"Wow. Scintillating."

May's tease was followed by a sharp nudge from Steven's elbow.

"Hey!" May shrieked.

"You're the one patronizing me!" Steven countered lightly.

"I'm sorry!" May laughed. "I just find it humorous that you'd travel all that way to look at dirt and rocks, when you could probably find that in Mossdeep."

"It's volcanic ash and meteorites," he corrected petulantly, "And I don't just go there to conduct research - I train in Meteor Falls as well."

"Why there?" May frowned, looking up at him.

"It's the only place that offers my team a real challenge," he said simply, a secretive smirk playing at his lips. May rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Cocky much?"

"Well, it's true," he turned to her with a smirk.

"Hmm, I'm afraid I'm going to need some proof to take your word for it. Maybe next time I see you, we can have a battle?"

"I don't think so."

May snatched her arm away and looked up at him, only this time to scowl darkly.

"Why not?" she laughed without humor. Steven smirked at her secretively, as if he was pitying her again.

"Because you're not ready," he said with a shrug.

"That's not true!" May protested, feeling with annoyance that familiar sense of frustration set in again, after he had finally helped her through it.

"How would you know? I've been a trainer for almost ten years now – give me some credit, too," he chided, though with a tone of mirth. May opened her mouth to retort, but this time, Steven quickly interrupted her.

"How about this: I promise you, that once I feel that you are ready, I will accept your challenge and will agree to battle you."

At this point, they had reached the green center of Verdanturf's quiet town – the sun had already begun to set, and families and pokemon had become sparse as they turned in for dinner and the night. Steven's promise hung in the air as May mulled it over with a frown and crossed arms. His expression was mirthful and kind, and May felt that even now, she couldn't remain frustrated with him for long.

"That sounds fair. I will hold you to that," she sighed. Steven smiled brightly.

"I sincerely hope you do, May," he murmured. Silence fell between the two for a moment as Steven was the first to slow their walking pace to a stop. May knew in her gut that once they had reached town he would take off, and yet somehow, she still felt disappointed. He glanced up at the low sun and sighed.

"Well, I should get going now. I've kept away from my responsibilities long enough," he said.

"Yeah, I should also turn in, it's getting late," she mirrored, feigning disinterest. Just as she was about to offer her goodbye, Steven suddenly reached for her arm, catching her gaze as he pulled her close, closer than ever before.

"May," he said softly, "you need to go easier on yourself. You are an incredible trainer, and you will get through this challenge with your riolu. The only thing you need to work on are these high expectations and standards you place on yourself. I'm sure the next time I see you, your whole team will be closer and stronger than before."

May's chest clenched as he spoke. She wanted to tell him just how much his words, the gift, and his time, had all meant to her. But the words couldn't form coherently in her mind, so she could only offer him a simple thank you.

"Thanks Steven. When do you think we'll see each other again?" She asked hopefully.

"Well, you seem to have an impeccable sense of timing – probably sooner than both of us are expecting," he said with a wink. This time, he didn't call out his skarmory, but with a final bow of his head, turned and walked towards Rusturf Tunnel, gait purposeful and strong.

As May watched him leave again, something inside of her ached longingly. It was the same feeling as before when she had watched him fly away from the gates of Mauville: only this time, the ache was stronger, sharper.

Through these brief interludes of conversation and closeness, May felt as if she was wearing him down, bit by bit.

But today, her own desire for him surprised her and made her burn hotly in shame. If she had learned anything from their time today, it was that, whoever Steven was, Steven was experienced and talented, and the years and time that stood between them was nothing if not significant. Unlike her friends, like Brendan or Wally, Steven was a man – he was sure of himself, purposeful and poised. Today, he made it clear to her that, no matter how magnetic and beautiful she found him to be, he thought of her as young, juvenile. The stolen glances, the vacuous daydreams about his features – she realized that she needed to stop, or at least be better about concealing it.

At that, May sighed and marched towards the Pokemon Center. If she couldn't ever be _his_, she resolved to be, at the very least, his friend. And as a friend, Steven Stone was still very much a mystery to her.

As she walked, May felt a sense of determination and resolve return to her belly at the thought of one day battling Steven. She felt her three of her four pokemon hum excitedly at her waist – Rio the fourth pokemon, though usually quiet and cold, was growing warmer, stirring. May smiled and looked to the cotton candy sky. She thought of the adventures to come – of unexplored caverns, of intense battles, of roaring oceans.

Whenever, if ever, that day would come, she hoped that she and her team would face that challenge with magnanimity and grace, and that they would be able to demonstrate to Steven the things they had learned on their journey. But for the time being, she had to win over her newest pokemon first, and a well-earned sleep awaited them.


End file.
